NEW DELHI ,23 April 2026 : West Bengal and Tamil Nadu stand on the brink of transformative Assembly elections, with West Bengal’s Phase 1 covering 152 constituencies on April 23 and Tamil Nadu conducting its single-phase poll across all 234 seats on Thursday.
Over 12 crore voters combined- 6.82 crore in Bengal and 5.73 crore in Tamil Nadu- shaped the political future of these powerhouse states today, as Trinamool Congress (TMC)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rivalries clash in the east and Dravidian giants Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) vie for dominance in the south amid Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) disruptive debut.
TMC mounts a fierce revenge campaign in West Bengal‘s Phase 1, targeting North Bengal’s critical 54 seats- BJP strongholds from its 2021 surge- that head to polls first on April 23, as saffron forces defend their turf against Mamata Banerjee’s aggressive bid to recapture lost ground. While BJP safeguards 59 of its 77 previous victories in this phase and TMC shields 92, the battle hinges on welfare promises clashing with regional divides across tea gardens, SC and ST belts and sensitive border zones.
Mamata Bannerjee claimed high percentage of polling shows her Trinamul Congress is leading in the first phase and she hopes same in the second phase on April 29.
Tamil Nadu single-phase showdown: Dravidian rivals and new disruptors
Tamil Nadu‘s April 23 single-phase frenzy pits around 4,023 candidates against 5.73 crore voters deciding 234 seats, with DMK’s Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) under MK Stalin– promising a ‘South Asia model state’- clashing against AIADMK-led NDA’s Edappadi K Palaniswami, who rallies first-timers for development and prosperity after five opposition years.
Nandigram to Sandeshkhali – the West Bengal seats that will decide everything in 2026
Actor Vijay’s TVK escalates the fray from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, taunting EPS’s home turf limits and targeting youth disillusionment to forge a triangular contest. EVMs dispatch to 1.40 lakh police-secured booths, with CEO Archana Patnaik enforcing zero-tolerance on tampering- banning inks or covers on candidate buttons under threat of repolls- while international observers tour via ECI’s IEVP and outsiders exit districts for smooth, 100 per cent turnout drives.
Campaigns ended amid high-decibel rhetoric on April 21, with counting across both states slated for May 4 (Monday), promising early indicators of national trends.
West Bengal Phase 1: North Bengal’s make-or-break battlegrounds
High-profile Phase 1 polling on April 23 spans 152 constituencies from North Bengal’s border districts like- Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling through tribal belts in Jhargram, industrial Paschim Bardhaman and some parts of Purulia, Bankura, Malda, Murshidabad, Paschim Medinipur, Birbhum and Nadia. Nandigram remains the prestige epicenter, where BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari- victor over Mamata Banerjee in 2021- faces TMC‘s Pabitra Kar, Congress’s Sekh Jariatul Hossain and CPI’s Shanti Giri in a multi-cornered rematch symbolizing.
TMC mounts a fierce revenge campaign in West Bengal‘s Phase 1, targeting North Bengal’s critical 54 seats- BJP strongholds from its 2021 surge- that head to polls first on April 23, as saffron forces defend their turf against Mamata Banerjee’s aggressive bid to recapture lost ground. While BJP safeguards 59 of its 77 previous victories in this phase and TMC shields 92, the battle hinges on welfare promises clashing with regional divides across tea gardens, SC and ST belts and sensitive border zones.
Tamil Nadu single-phase showdown: Dravidian rivals and new disruptors
Tamil Nadu‘s April 23 single-phase frenzy pits around 4,023 candidates against 5.73 crore voters deciding 234 seats, with DMK’s Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) under MK Stalin– promising a ‘South Asia model state’- clashing against AIADMK-led NDA’s Edappadi K Palaniswami, who rallies first-timers for development and prosperity after five opposition years.
Actor Vijay’s TVK escalates the fray from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East, taunting EPS’s home turf limits and targeting youth disillusionment to forge a triangular contest. EVMs dispatch to 1.40 lakh police-secured booths, with CEO Archana Patnaik enforcing zero-tolerance on tampering- banning inks or covers on candidate buttons under threat of repolls- while international observers tour via ECI’s IEVP and outsiders exit districts for smooth, 100 per cent turnout drives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a roadshow in Howrah as part of the BJP’s campaign for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The roadshow drew crowds along the route, with party supporters gathering to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister as he passed through key stretches of the city.
Tamil Nadu’s single-phase Assembly election recorded a voter turnout of over 82 per cent by 5 pm on Thursday, indicating strong participation across the state. According to Election Commission data, several constituencies had already crossed the 90 per cent mark by the evening, reflecting particularly high engagement in select pockets.
BARAMATI BYPOLL: Polling in the ongoing state Assembly by-elections gathered pace through the day, with turnout crossing the halfway mark in all three constituencies by 5 pm. According to the latest figures, Umreth in Gujarat recorded the highest turnout at 54.43 per cent. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 50.68 per cent polling, while Baramati registered a 52.44 per cent turnout by the same time.
Picture credit social media
