Assembly Election 2026 Highlights: BJP using women's quota law as front for delimitation bill, says Mamata Banerjee

DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakanth has once again taken a swipe at ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), this time during a campaign in Thiruparankundram, sparking a fresh political row ahead of the crucial Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. 

Addressing a gathering while campaigning for DMK candidate Kiruthiga Thangapandi, Premalatha said that the constituency would prosper if people lived well, and added that "by Lord Murugan's blessings, a lamp will be lit," suggesting better days ahead for residents. The statement comes days after Premalatha publicly criticised the DMK over women’s safety, putting the alliance under strain.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday asked people to utilise the April 23 Assembly elections to "give back" to the BJP-led Central government for not providing adequate funds to the state.

He said people should retaliate by denying space to the saffron party and its ally, the AIADMK, and instead give a decisive mandate to the DMK.

"Did the BJP government provide funds or projects to Tamil Nadu? People should retaliate against the vindictive BJP for not providing central schemes or funds. Give back to the BJP by defeating them in the Assembly elections," he said while campaigning for candidates Jayakumar (Udumalaipettai) and A Sudhakar (Pollachi), State Minister MP Saminathan, who is contesting from Kangeyam constituency, and Dharapuram candidate Dr Indrani.

(with inputs from PTI)

The Income Tax officials carried out a similar raid on the residence and the in-laws' house of the outgoing TMC MLA from the Rasbehari assembly constituency, Debashish Kumar, on the same day. READ MORE HERE

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee panicked after a man breached her security during a Jalpaiguri padyatra which raised concerns over crowd control and leader safety. READ MORE HERE

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday led a colourful roadshow in Durgapur in support of Trinamool Congress candidates ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

People gathered on both sides of the road, and those standing on balconies and rooftops waved at the TMC supremo as she greeted them with folded hands.

Banerjee walked from the Steel Market crossing to Bhiringi More, a distance of nearly two km, flanked by TMC candidates from Durgapur and adjoining constituencies.

The chief minister was also greeted with flowers and scarves by party supporters amid chants of 'Didi Didi' and 'Joy Bangla'.

(with inputs from PTI)

The DMK on Friday said senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and chief minister M K Stalin will not campaign together for the April 23 polls in Tamil Nadu as both leaders have separate schedules.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will visit Chennai on Saturday to launch his election campaign. Congress is contesting from 28 seats as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said that "Rahul Gandhi will campaign in one area, while the Chief Minister will campaign in another."

He stated that neither Stalin, the DMK president, nor Rahul Gandhi had the time to campaign together, noting that their pre-existing travel schedules precluded such an arrangement.

(with inputs from PTI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".

The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally in Cooch Behar.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.

(with inputs from PTI)

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 in Salem, 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 heroin will be completely eradicated. We will transform Tamil Nadu into a drug-free state."

(with inputs from PTI)

Video: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma held a roadshow in support of BJP candidate Shankar Ghosh from the Siliguri Assembly constituency in poll-bound West Bengal on Friday.

"You can see the enthusiasm of the people here. You can clearly see that the people of Bengal have made up their mind to remove this corrupt government... I can say that the BJP is going to win in Bengal with a huge majority," he said during the rally.

(With agency inputs)

Video: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami holds an election campaign in poll-bound Tamil Nadu's Sankagiri Assembly constituency.

(With agency inputs)

Video: Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister and DMK leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, holds an election campaign in Tiruppur district.

Nearly one in four candidates contesting the first phase of the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal have disclosed criminal cases against themselves, per a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Out of 1,475 candidates analysed, 345, which translates to 23 per cent of the sample size, have pending criminal cases, while 294, or 20 per cent, face serious charges.

The report flagged that 19 candidates have declared cases related to murder and 105 candidates have cases of attempt to murder. Additionally, 98 candidates face charges related to crimes against women, including six accused in rape cases.

Among major parties, the highest proportion of candidates with criminal cases was found in the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in which 106 out of 152 candidates, or 70 per cent, have declared such cases.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Bhabanipur and Nandigram Assembly constituencies, Suvendu Adhikari, publicly alleged on Thursday that political consultancy firm I-PAC, which is handling ruling Trinamool Congress's poll campaign, is providing TMC supporters with fake press cards with the aim of influencing voting in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Calling the Election Commission's attention to what he called a "grave conspiracy, the BJP leader said, "According to credible reports, IPAC is systematically issuing Fake Press Identification Cards to TMC party workers. These individuals are not journalists by profession but are being disguised as members of the media to gain unrestricted access to sensitive areas, including polling premises and key administrative hubs."

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is slated to hold a virtual meeting with her party's MPs today at around 3 pm, according to sources.