Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE: BJP's 'downfall' has begun, says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Murshidabad: “A ballot for immoderate enactment different than the TMC is simply a ballot for the BJP,” Trinamool Congress person Abhishek Banerjee told a canvass rally, successful a bid to consolidate votes successful this district, which historically has been a beardown basal of the Congress.

Addressing a gathering aft a roadshow successful Farakka, helium claimed that portion the BJP was “breaking the Congress”, the TMC was “thwarting the BJP’s power connected the ground.” Targeting the Congress, the de facto fig 2 successful the TMC, claimed that nary MP oregon immoderate typical of the expansive aged enactment stood by them successful the past 2 years to code people’s demands.

Mr. Banerjee claimed that the Congress, Aam Janata Unnayan Party laminitis Humayun Kabir and cardinal agencies were the “three agencies of the BJP” that were progressive successful the region.

While attempts were being made to delete the names of the mediocre and number voters from the electoral rolls, the Opposition parties were “playing with the emotions of the community”, the TMC person said.

“I impulse radical - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians - not to beryllium misled. Those trying to disagreement you indispensable beryllium fixed a befitting reply connected polling day. If you privation to decision the BJP, the lone mode is to ballot for the TMC,” helium said. - PTI

Salem: A seasoned successful electoral fray, erstwhile Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, who registered resounding victories from Edappadi Assembly constituency successful the district, is seeking re-election for the sixth clip from his location constituency.

This governmental heavyweight candidate, who does not look anti-incumbency, appears to person the dice formed successful his favour. His increasing popularity successful the portion and enlargement of enactment basal are apt to tilt the scales successful his favour.

Mr. Palaniswami, the wide caput of AIADMK, has won the spot 5 times during the elections held successful 1989,1991, 2011, 2016 and 2021, and transformed the agrarian constituency, which besides thrives connected the handloom and powerfulness loom assemblage and granite quarries, into his fort.

He is facing DMK’s C. Kasi, a textile merchant who is making his electoral debut, and Priyadarshini of erstwhile movie manager Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi successful a triangular contest, though determination are a full of 15 candidates successful the fray. - PTI

Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the BJP’s “downfall” has begun. Addressing a canvass rally successful Howrah’s Uluberia, Ms. Banerjee claimed that the BJP had been “defeated” and was surviving successful bureau lone with the enactment of its allies.

Taking a swipe astatine the BJP implicit its propulsion for delimitation, the Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that the saffron enactment wanted to “divide” the country. - PTI

Kolkata: “Days up of the two-phase polling successful West Bengal, the Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force seized a cache of arms and ammunition adjacent Rajabazar Science College successful Kolkata and detained a man,” officials said.

“Acting connected suspicion, STF sleuths intercepted the man, carrying a bag, adjacent a autobus basal and recovered six single-shot firearms and 14 cartridges from him,” an authoritative said.

Investigators are trying to ascertain wherever the arms were being taken and to whom they were meant to beryllium delivered. This improvement came amid intensified checking of vehicles by mounting up roadblocks by constabulary crossed the State. - PTI

Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin campaigned for Congress nominee Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury successful the Baharampur assembly constituency successful West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

Ahead of a roadshow successful the town, Azharuddin cited Mr. Chowdhury’s agelong governmental acquisition and transportation with the portion and appealed to voters to enactment the Congress candidate.

People gathered connected some sides of the road, and those lasting connected balconies and rooftops waved astatine the erstwhile Indian cricket squad captain.

- PTI

Manickam Athappa Gounder, president of MAK and Managing Trustee of Manu Neethi Foundation, released successful Coimbatore connected Friday a ‘People’s Manifesto 2026’ for the elections.

A property merchandise said the manifesto urged governmental parties to absorption connected improving productivity successful agriculture and guarantee a unchangeable income for farmers successful the State. Tamil Nadu should germinate into a pollution-free State and determination should beryllium sustainable earnings, and beardown enactment to halt sewage and discarded contamination astatine source. The authorities should absorption connected steadfast surviving done preventive attraction and not conscionable connected treatment.

Mr. Athappa Gounder besides called for liable governance truthful that nationalist wealth is spent cautiously and indebtedness is reduced.

“Citizens indispensable request accountability and transparency,” helium said. “Do not ballot for wealth oregon mendacious promises. Vote for honesty, responsibility, and vision. Good governance begins with us,” helium added. - The Hindu Bureau

Voting for elder citizens supra 85 years and for voters with disabilities that person expressed penchant to ballot from location commenced successful each 16 Assembly constituencies successful Chennai connected April 16.

A squad of six comprising a micro observer, 2 polling officials, a constabulary officer, a videographer and a operator landed astatine 74-year-old Visalakshi Jambunathan’s location astatine Kallukaran Street successful Mylapore astir 11 a.m. aft a connection from the Booth Level Officer.

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With less than 7 days remaining earlier the archetypal signifier of polling successful West Bengal, not lone are governmental enactment leaders moving hard to seizure voters’ attention, but payment schemes offering currency incentives to women successful the State are besides playing a important role.

As the West Bengal predetermination run reaches its peak, a contention betwixt the Lakshmir Bhandar of the Trinamool Congress and the Matri Shakti Vandan Yojana of the Bharatiya Janata Party has gained momentum connected the sidelines. 

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With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah engaged with the peculiar league of the Parliament, the Chief Ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled States took up the mantle to run for their enactment successful poll-bound West Bengal.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a property league successful Kolkata and targeted the Trinamool Congress authorities connected respective fronts including the peculiar intensive revision (SIR) and the industrialisation of the State.

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AIADMK wide caput and the Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, spoke to The Hindu connected a big of issues. He was hopeful of his enactment forming a authorities of its ain and said the verdict would found it. 

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DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Leader of the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha and Congress person Rahul Gandhi are improbable to stock the signifier during the run for the upcoming Assembly predetermination successful Tamil Nadu, DMK organisation caput R.S. Bharathi said connected Friday (April 17, 2026).

Speaking to reporters astatine Anna Arivalayam, the DMK office successful Chennai, Mr. Bharathi, portion responding to a question connected Mr. Gandhi’s run docket successful Tamil Nadu, wherever helium is acceptable to circuit Ponneri, Sholinghur, and Thuraiyur connected Saturday (April 18), said Mr. Stalin’s circuit programme had already been fixed.

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