Assembly elections 2026 highlights: Postal voting in TN for duty personnel; TMC alleges abuse of woman worker in Bengal

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Makkal Needhi Maiyam ( MNM ) President, Actor and MP Kamal Hassan on Friday started his election campaign in Chennai's Chindadripet from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, where Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin is contesting.

MNM is contesting the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls under the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will participate in an election campaign meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow (April 18) evening at Thuraiyur in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu.

The public meeting will take place around 4 PM at a private venue in Thuraiyur. Rahul Gandhi is expected to arrive at Tiruchirappalli International Airport from Chennai and then travel by helicopter to Thuraiyur. He will land at a helipad set up at the Zamindar Higher Secondary School and proceed by road to the meeting venue.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: The process of collecting postal votes from government employees, teachers, journalists, and other personnel engaged in essential election duties has commenced across Tamil Nadu on Friday.

Postal voting has been initiated at the offices of the Returning Officers for officials, including government staff, media personnel, fire and rescue services, and police personnel who will be on election duty.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: The Income Tax Department on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations in the city, including the residence of TMC MLA Debashis Kumar who is contesting from Rasbehari assembly seat, and Miraj Shah, a proposer of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's candidature from Bhabanipur constituency.

The TMC alleged that the raids, conducted days before the voting on April 23 and 29, were intended to "harass and intimidate" the ruling party of West Bengal.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI), flagging what he claimed was a "grave conspiracy" allegedly being orchestrated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in collaboration with I-PAC, aimed at "subverting the democratic process".

In a post on X ahead of upcoming state assembly elections, Adhikari alleged that IPAC is "systematically issuing Fake Press Identification Cards to TMC party workers," claiming that individuals who are not journalists are being "disguised as members of the media to gain unrestricted access to sensitive areas, including polling premises and key administrative hubs."

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday alleged that BJP supporters abused a woman party worker in the presence of her two-year-old daughter in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district.

Expressing hope that the Election Commission would take action against those involved in the "heinous attack on the woman", he said that while one person has been arrested, all those named in the FIR should be brought to book.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday assured a drug free Tamil Nadu if his party comes to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.

During a poll campaign at Sangagiri here, he said, "Students are addicted to drug abuse and time has come to put an end to it. Once the AIADMK assumes power, the sale of ganja will be completely eradicated. We will transform Tamil Nadu into a drug-free state".

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Friday held a roadshow in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri Assembly constituency.

In the Siliguri Assembly constituency, BJP candidate Shankar Ghosh is contesting against the TMC candidate Goutam Deb and the INC candidate Alok Dhara.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed confidence that the BJP will win the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, saying people in the state are seeking change after 15 years of TMC rule. Campaigning in Bengal ahead of the first phase of polling on April 23, he said voters are ready to “hear the voice of their hearts” and that “Dar ke aage jeet hai," news agency ANI reported.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Congress leader Karti Chidambaram on Friday said the DMK supports the Women’s Reservation Bill but raised concerns over “bringing the delimitation Bill as a facade” to push other changes, calling it a “matter of concern”, as per news agency ANI.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday alleged that the TMC tried to include infiltrators in electoral rolls and opposed the revision exercise to gain electoral advantage. He said the process has constitutional safeguards and should be conducted periodically to remove ineligible voters, PTI reported.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday alleged that the BJP has begun preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections by targeting Opposition leaders through ED and Income Tax raids, news agency ANI reported.

Citing recent action against AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal and minister Sanjeev Arora, Mann claimed the agencies were being used to “harass” political opponents.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Chennai police earlier registered a case against actor-politician Vijay over an alleged breach of election rules during a Perambur campaign event, as per news agency IANS.

The party cited lack of security.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the TMC of “spreading misinformation” on meat and fish consumption. He said a BJP government would only restrict beef and cattle smuggling.

"Mamata Banerjee is worried that once a BJP government is formed in West Bengal, the beef trade here will stop," he alleged.

Assembly lections 2026 LIVE: Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday spoke at a rally in Kangayam. He canvassed for DMK candidates and appealed to voters to support the ruling alliance ahead of the Assembly elections.

Assembly lections 2026 LIVE: BJP leader K Annamalai supported 33% reservation for women in legislatures, saying it would help women from rural and ordinary backgrounds enter politics. He added the move could increase Lok Sabha seats by around 50%.

On delimitation, he accused Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin of making “false claims”, saying southern states’ share would remain the same even after the expansion.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: Tamil Nadu ministers K N Nehru and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday campaigned in Tiruchirappalli.

The leaders held a padyatra in the Gandhi Market area in support of Tiruchirappalli East candidate Inigo Irudayaraj, interacting with traders and residents while seeking votes. They assured that the market would not be relocated and asked voters to back the DMK’s “Rising Sun” symbol.

Assembly elections 2026 LIVE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday stepped up her attack on the BJP. She called the party “Bangla-birodhi” (against Bengalis) and claimed she would not allow “Bangla-birodhi zamindars” to harm the people, news agency ANI reported.

Campaigning in Cooch Behar, she promised to protect Bengal’s rights, secular fabric and inclusive ethos. She asked voters to support the Trinamool Congress symbol “Joraphool”.

The state will vote in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting on May 4, in what is expected to be a direct TMC vs BJP contest.