tripura assembly polls

The BJP has announced new state unit chiefs, appointing Union minister Harsh Malhotra as the president of its Delhi unit and Kewal Singh Dhillon for Punjab. Abhishek Debroy will lead the party in Tripura, and Archana Gupta in Haryana. These appointments are part of the BJP's organizational reshuffle ahead of upcoming political contests.

The BJP has appointed Kewal Singh Dhillon as its Punjab president, a strategic move to appeal to the influential Jat Sikh community ahead of assembly polls. This appointment, alongside changes in Delhi, Haryana, and Tripura, signals the party's ambition to expand its voter base beyond urban Hindus in Punjab.

Economic challenges, NEET and CBSE crisis, pressures induced by the Iran war and fears of growing anti-incumbency as illustrated by the runaway popularity of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party have led to speculation that Modi may soon rejig his team

In a bold assertion, Tripura Congress has charged the BJP-led government with inciting ethnic tensions to destabilize the political landscape as the Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council elections approach. Party spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty pointed to a contrived narrative aimed at confusing the electorate and generating anxiety, disproportionately affecting at-risk tribal groups and grassroots advocates.

After winning the BJP a brute majority in the 2026 Assam assembly polls, the question now is whether Himanta Biswa Sarma stands at par with chief ministers like Yogi Adityanath and Devendra Fadnavis, who are widely regarded as disciplined Sangh loyalists and potential next generation leaders of the BJP in the post Modi-Shah era.

Suvendu Adhikari has been sworn in as West Bengal's first BJP Chief Minister following a decisive election victory. Attended by top BJP leaders, the ceremony marks a significant political shift. Adhikari, a former TMC leader, was unanimously elected by BJP MLAs. His government's priorities include judicial probes and fulfilling campaign promises, with a motto of 'Talk Less Work More'.

Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the new Chief Minister of West Bengal. The BJP secured a significant win in the 2026 assembly elections. Several prominent leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony. The new government includes ministers like Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik. The state saw record voter turnout.

The BJP has significantly expanded its political footprint across India, achieving its first chief minister in nine states since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. This expansion, marked by recent victories in West Bengal and Odisha, transforms the party from a Hindi-heartland force into a dominant pan-India political machine, reflecting its governance model and increasing public acceptance.

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian revolutionary who led the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and founded the Soviet Union, becoming one of the most influential communist leaders, having overwhelming influence in West Bengal politics under the CPM regime, which was uprooted by the TMC's Mamata Banerjee after three decades in 2011. The party said it registered a police complaint, leading to arrest of five and vowed to rebuild the statue on May 8.

This victory gives BJP more than a new state. It gives Modi an eastern anchor to complement his dominance across the Hindi heartland and the West.

West Bengal witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout of 92.9% across two phases, surpassing previous records and nearing India's highest. This surge, particularly in Kolkata, is attributed to voter roll corrections and enhanced security. Despite a reduced electorate, more votes were cast, with women outvoting men. Officials are investigating complaints of vote tampering.

The BJP, either on its own or in alliance, is in power in around 22 states, covering roughly 78% of India’s population. According to psephologist Sanjay Kumar, these figures reflect the party’s firm establishment of dominance in national politics

In the wake of the recent turmoil in Tripura, the state administration is set to invoke the Tripura Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act, 2021. This legislation is designed to identify and penalize those responsible for the violence, making them liable for the damages caused.

Record-breaking polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with 92.9% and 85.1% respectively, validates the special intensive revision exercise and people's faith in elections. Female voter turnout also reached historic highs in both states, surpassing male participation. EC officials lauded the high turnout, calling it a watershed moment for West Bengal and highlighting efforts to curb electoral malpractices.

Two brothers serving in paramilitary forces received postal ballots after their names were deleted from voter rolls during an adjudication process. Their kin expressed surprise, questioning the logic behind the deletions, especially for individuals on poll duty. An EC official cited a potential technical glitch or misclassification of service voters, promising a report.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claims a list of Trinamool Congress workers targeted for arrest ahead of elections is circulating. She vowed to fight such cases in court, accusing the BJP of using central agencies to suppress her party. A PIL filed in Calcutta High Court alleges pre-emptive detention plans for TMC leaders and workers.

A prominent Indian political scientist explains what is at stake with the Kerala state election

The Dharmanagar by-election in Tripura on April 9 marks a pivotal chance for the Congress party to reclaim its influence. With influential personalities like Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot joining the fray, set to land on March 31, this election is a litmus test for the party's comeback momentum following the recent demise of BJP MLA Biswa Bandhu Sen.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that all infiltrators in Assam will be identified and deported within five years if the BJP returns to power. Addressing rallies, he linked the state's security to West Bengal elections and pledged to make Assam flood-free and increase tea workers' wages.

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), born out of the movement against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, will on Monday launch a poll campaign in Tripura for ‘Greater Tipraland’, which is the core agenda of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman’s TIPRA Motha.

The EC has decided to hold booth-level "peace meetings" in Tripura as part of its efforts to ensure no untoward incident takes place anywhere in the state during and after the vote-counting process, said CEO Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao.

Assam is among a select group of states where the saffron party has maintained an unbroken winning streak since it secured a landmark national mandate in 2014. Will the BJP-led NDA be able to extend that dominance in the April 9 polls?

The Election Commission on Thursday said the tripura assembly polls remained "largely violence-free", with Bru migrant voters being able to exercise their franchise for the first time in many years. The tentative voter turnout was recorded at around 80 per cent. Final turnout figures will be known by Friday, it said.

Schools and colleges across several states will remain closed on April 9, 2026, due to Assembly elections, with Kerala and Puducherry announcing a complete shutdown. The holiday extends to offices and businesses to support polling. Other states, including Assam, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura, may see localised closures depending on polling arrangements and administrative decisions.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday while addressing an election rally here equated the BJP-led government in Tripura with the 25 years' rule of communists and alleged that both the parties are same in terms of indulging in violence, oppression and corruption.