Assembly election 2026 Highlights: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal hold roadshow in Chennai's Pulianthope

In these elections of West Bengal, ECI will leave no stone unturned to hold free, fair and transparent elections. Elections will be fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free, chappa-free, booth-jamming-free, and source-jamming-free. ⁠No employee of the State Government, Local Bodies or Autonomous Bodies, etc. influences the electoral process. Each and every elector of West Bengal should exercise his/ her vote in a fearless manner: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss says, "DMK means corruption. With the corrupted money, they try to buy votes. Senthil Balaji is famous for this. He's not only famous in Tamil Nadu, but he's also famous worldwide for this. We call him 10-rupee Balaji... We are winning more than 200 seats in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK-led NDA alliance is winning in Tamil Nadu. There is a huge anti-incumbency wave against the DMK, and we are winning with a very, very far margin..."

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "There is a reign of goons and terror throughout Bengal. This is going to end on May 4. We will tell the goons and criminals to come to the police station and surrender. After May 4, there will be no one to save them."

On the Women's Reservation Bill being defeated, he says, "Mamata Didi has insulted all mothers and sisters by defeating the Women's Reservation Bill."

Tamil Nadu CM and DMK Chief MK Stalin says, "Arvind Kejriwal has come to Tamil Nadu to seek votes in support of the DMK alliance. The BJP had foisted a false corruption case against Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal was imprisoned based on fabricated charges, but later proved his innocence through the courts. DMK government would return to power, promising a 2.0 version of governance in Tamil Nadu..."

Deputy Chief Minister and DMK candidate for the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, Udhayanidhi Stalin, holds an election campaign in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.

On TMC filing a complaint with the ECI against her alleging MCC violations ahead of West Bengal elections, Former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani says, "... It is our political right to tell voters the framework we will administratively offer when we come to power as a political organisation. How is that against the rules? Why is the TMC so scared if they are so confident of a win?..."

On the Tamil Nadu elections, BJP leader K Annamalai said, "I believe Rahul Gandhi should worry about Congress, which is non-existent in Tamil Nadu, instead of blaming other parties. His party is literally zero. He doesn't want to campaign with MK Stalin. He wants to do a separate campaign. MK Stalin doesn't want to campaign with Rahul Gandhi; he wants to do a separate campaign. What Rahul Gandhi spoke about yesterday in Tamil Nadu is a classic case of the kettle calling the pot black. Yesterday, we could also see very little enthusiasm for Rahul Gandhi's visit to Tamil Nadu. Rahul Gandhi's total presence in Tamil Nadu is for half a day. Whereas our Prime Minister has visited Tamil Nadu five times in the last month alone. We are not taking the utterances of Rahul Gandhi very seriously because we all know DMK is a sinking ship."

West Bengal Election 2026: All 23 districts will observe 48-hours of ‘dry day’, depending on when they go to the polls. While 16 districts will vote on April 23, seven districts will vote on April 29. A dry day will be observed on May 4 as well, as per the Election Commission's notification.

On preparations for the Assembly Election across Tamil Nadu, ECI Special Observer Pratap Singh says, “All preparations are in place, and the polling personnel have been properly trained. There is sufficient police deployment with a large number of observers, who will remain on the field on the Polling day. Polling booths are equipped with assured minimum facilities, including water, shade, washrooms, locker rooms, and wheelchairs… Some stations will be decorated as model polling stations showcasing local Tamil culture…”

The Election Commission has declared “Dry Day” in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu ahead of polling on April 23.

West Bengal dry days: April 21 to April 23 (Phase 1); April 27-April 29 (Phase 2); May 4

Tamil Nadu dry days: April 21 to April 23; May 4

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the BJP is using their alliance partner AIADMK to "attack" the identity of Tamil Nadu.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that AIADMK has been "compromised in the hands of the BJP" and is no longer the party that once protected the identity of Tamil Nadu.

"In this election, they are trying to infiltrate the Tamil Nadu... AIADMK has had great leaders who have protected the idea of Tamil Nadu, but today's leaders are not like previous leaders. They are now compromised in the hands of the BJP," he said.

On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s statement, BJP Leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain says, “Mamata Banerjee knows that she is going to lose in the elections… That’s why she is saying such things and making allegations against a central agency.”

Sainthia, West Bengal: Central Armed Forces conduct a flag march on the streets in view of the West Bengal Assembly Elections.

Andhra CM Naidu urges electorate in Coimbatore to vote for NDA in April 23 Assembly polls.

While political leaders criss-cross Murshidabad promising to stop infiltration and restore deleted voter names ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls, 12-year-old Ruksana Khatun sits on the mud floor of her home in Suti, rolling tobacco into tendu leaves before leaving for school.

Beside her, mother Rahima Bibi works at a frantic pace. They need to finish 1,000 beedis before noon. Ruksana is not officially a worker — on paper, she is only helping.

But in Murshidabad's sprawling beedi belt — stretching across Suti, Samserganj, Dhuliyan, Jangipur and Lalgola — thousands of children quietly help their families meet punishing daily targets. Nearly a quarter of India's beedi workers are concentrated here, where the industry forms the backbone of the local economy and nearly 25 lakh people depend on the trade.

"If she doesn't help me, we cannot finish a thousand. Then they cut our payment," Rahima said. For every 1,000 beedis rolled, families earn between ₹160 and ₹180.

The trade's reach extends into politics. Local contractors — who decide whose bundle gets accepted, who receives an advance before Eid and who gets a beedi worker's card — are widely alleged to be closely linked to political leaders.

"During polls, they tell us which meeting to attend and which party to vote for. Nobody says it openly. But everyone understands. If you are seen with the wrong party, next week there may be no work," alleged a woman in Jalangi.

"In Murshidabad's beedi belt, childhood ends when fingers of these minors become fast enough to roll tobacco," said a schoolteacher in Samserganj, requesting anonymity.

-PTI

DMK candidate from Villivakkam, Karthik Mohan, expressed confidence on Monday that the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance would secure a sweeping victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, predicting the alliance would cross 200 seats in the 234-member assembly.

"We are very confident that we're going to win 200 plus seats, and it's looking much better as the days progress. I think we're going to win more. We're very confident about that. Once the government is formed, which we're going to do on May 4th, we'll start implementing the manifesto from day one," he told ANI.

MK Stalin took his campaign to Chennai's Anna Nagar Tower Park on Monday morning, greeting residents during a walkabout ahead of the 23 April assembly polls.

The visit capped a gruelling campaign stretch. In a post on X, Stalin described an eight-hour blitz the previous day — beginning in Hosur at 2 PM, moving through Mylapore, Thousand Lights and T Nagar, concluding in Thiruvottiyur at 10 PM, where he ate fish at the home of a fisherfolk family.

"Polls, people's counts — whatever it may be, we are the ones! We will win 200; we will create history!" he wrote.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will embark on a two-day campaign tour of Tamil Nadu on Monday and Tuesday, as the NDA intensifies its outreach ahead of the 23 April assembly elections. The visit aims to energise party cadre and reinforce the coalition's development-focused messaging across key constituencies.

TMC has alleged that Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and his wife, MLA Kalpana Soren, were denied permission to fly their chopper into Jhargram while PM Modi extended his stay there on Sunday to eat jhal muri at a local shop.

TMC alleged the JMM leaders were left waiting for hours before being forced to return to Ranchi without completing their scheduled programme.

"Narendra Modi's Adivasi-Birodhi mindset has been exposed for all to see. Because the 'Pradhan Sevak' decided to extend his stay in Jhargram to eat Jhalmuri, Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren and his wife and MLA Smt. Kalpana Soren was denied permission to fly their chopper into Jhargram while Modi was present," TMC said on X.

"Two democratically elected leaders. Grounded. Kept waiting for hours. And ultimately forced to return to Ranchi without completing their scheduled programme, all because a Prime Minister's extended snack break and photo-ops took precedence over their democratic rights and constitutional standing," the party added.