Assembly Election 2026 Highlights: Amit Shah addresses public rally in Assam's Cachar, says ‘let Mamata Banerjee cry…'

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "Pawan Khera and the Congress party had accepted a contract to carry out the political assassination of Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family based on fake documents supplied by Pakistan. Within half an hour, the documents provided by Pakistan were proven to be fake... Instead of providing evidence for his allegations, Pawan Khera is now like a missing tree, creating a ruckus. He has disappeared, he is absconding..."

Addressing a public rally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "We are striking the names of infiltrators from the voter list. Mamata Didi and Rahul Baba are having a stomachache. Rahul Baba, you used to oppose CAA, you were opposing giving voting rights to the refugee Bengali brothers and sisters who have come here, but why are you welcoming the infiltrators? Because they are their vote bank... Let Mamata Banerjee cry, let Rahul Baba beat his chest, but BJP will handpick and throw out every single infiltrator from this country."

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said, "Under SIR, all infiltrators must be removed. So far, we have struck off the names of 22 lakh people and stopped their ration as well, and going forward, we will cancel everything from their driving licenses to each and every one of their cards."

On Congress leader Pawan Khera, Congress leader Rashid Alvi says, "If a spokesperson says something, they do not speak on their own accord but rather on behalf of the party. If an FIR is lodged against a spokesperson, it is unlawful... BJP leaders level allegations against us every single day. We, too, should be filing FIRs against them daily. However, that is not how politics works... I condemn this move."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that names of people belonging to the Matua and minority communities were deleted from the post-SIR voter rolls in the state.

Congress MP and General Secretary (Organisation), KC Venugopal, on Tuesday questioned Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging a "deal" with the BJP's central leadership.

In an open letter, Venugopal asked Vijayan to respond to the allegations and disclose the "agenda" behind his meetings with several top BJP leaders and Union Ministers.

Nearly 91 lakh voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal following the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the state, according to data released by the Election Commission.

"Pinarayi Vijayan's godfather is Narendra Modi, who is protecting him from all the cases," says Telangana CM & Congress leader A Revanth Reddy.

A dance video featuring Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar grooving on the seashore with senior election officials has gone viral ahead of the state's 9 April Assembly elections.

Launched in Kochi by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the clip features the catchy line: "This is your vote and our state needs your vote... one goal can change the game, and one vote can alter the fate."

The Election Commission has also introduced other voter outreach initiatives, including offering traditional halwa to first-time voters at polling booths.

Uber will offer free rides to polling stations within a two-kilometre radius in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.

Nominations for eight Assembly constituencies in Tiruppur district closed on Monday with 193 candidates in the fray, including 133 men and 60 women. On the final day alone, 100 candidates filed their papers.

Union Minister L. Murugan has filed his nomination from Avanashi, while State Minister M.P. Saminathan will contest from Kangayam, which has 19 other candidates. Dharapuram and Avinashi SC constituencies have 17 and 26 candidates respectively.

Speaking of on-the-ground support for the UDF, the Congress leader says ‘what matters is securing a comfortable majority to run an effective government’.

Campaigning for Kerala's Assembly elections has officially ended, with Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rathan U Kelkar announcing a cutoff of 6 pm on 7 April ahead of polling across 140 constituencies on 9 April. A strict 48-hour silence period is now in effect across the state.

Campaigning for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry draws to a close this evening. In the final hours today, top leaders from various political parties make concerted efforts to connect with voters and strengthen their support base across these regions.

The high-decibal campaigning for assembly elections will end in Assam, Puducherry and Kerala today. Elections will be held on 9 April