Assembly Election 2026 Highlights: BJP announces 5 more candidates for Bengal polls, replaces 3 with new faces

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The BJP on Saturday released its fifth list of nominees for West Bengal, naming five more candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The party also replaced the candidates it had previously announced for three other constituencies – Basirhat Uttar, Bishnupur (SC) and Behala Purba.

Former Telangana Governor and BJP's candidate from Mylapore Assembly seat for the upcoming Tamil Nadu polls, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, lambasts Chief Minister and DMK chief, MK Stalin, as she seeks to dispel the 'Hindi imposition' narrative.

"There is no imposition. Our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] wants everyone to learn the Tamil language. I want to ask MK Stalin if he is able to avoid the three-language policy in private schools. When rich people's children can learn three language, he is denying this right to poor children. This is discrimination. So Stalin should be charged," she said in a video byte shared by news agency ANI on X.

The Election Commission suspended Kolkata Police South Division DC-II Siddartha Dutta, Alipore OC Priyankar Chakraborty, Additional OC Chandi Charan Banerjee, and Sergeant Saurabh Chatterjee for “failure during a roadshow and nomination process” in the Bhabanipur constituency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a massive roadshow in Thiruvananthapuram. Visuals from the spot.

Congress National President and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge says, "The Congress and DMK alliance will win in Pondicherry and form an alliance government."

Addressing a public rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that Congress and its allies were putting Keralites and other Indians working in the Gulf at risk. He said the ongoing West Asia crisis has exposed their “designs,” adding that senior Congress leaders were deliberately making statements that could endanger Indians abroad and sow distrust.

PM Modi highlighted that it is only due to India’s strong relations with Gulf countries that the governments there treat Indians as family and ensure their safety. “This is not the time for such remarks. The safety of our people is the top priority. Please stop making senseless statements that cause trouble for them,” he urged.

“The Sabarimala plunder happened under the LDF, and the highest beneficiaries were from the UDF. Congress is now pretending to be the well-wishers of Hindus. When the NDA comes to power, they will have to return the plunder to the people. They will not escape the wrath of Swami Ayyappan’s devotees,” said PM Modi.

“Congress claims the Left are its B-team in Kerala, and the same is said of Congress by the Left. They are hand in hand, fighting together in Tamil Nadu. The world knows which party is which party’s B-team. Congress and the Left are two sides of the same coin,” said PM Modi.

Union Minister and BJP TN election in-charge Piyush Goyal said, “It is Congress and DMK who have created a family rule, where the Chief Minister’s post passes from Karunanidhi to MK Stalin, then Udhayanidhi Stalin, and if voters repeat the mistake of electing DMK, Inbanithi Stalin will be next.”

Speaking at the rally, PM Modi said the whole country is watching the unrest in Middle Eastern countries, where lakhs of Keralites are stuck. He warned that Congress and the Opposition, through irresponsible remarks, are putting the lives of millions at risk. “It is our good fortune that India has strong relations with the Gulf nations. I have repeatedly urged the Opposition to stop endangering Keralites through their statements,” he added.

PM Modi stressed that Kerala can develop only once the walls of corruption and communalism are broken, highlighting the urgent need to boost the state’s service sector and create jobs. He further said that lakhs of Kerala’s youth have already left the state and even the country in search of employment opportunities.

Addressing a public meeting in Tiruvalla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Our Keralam has been endowed by God with immense possibilities and resources; there are opportunities in the blue economy in the seas here, and so many possibilities in the field of tourism, yet Keralam is lagging behind other states in the race for development."

PM Modi said the Centre is fast-tracking highway and railway projects, citing the high-speed Vande Bharat train from Kotayam as an example.

At a rally in Tiruvalla, PM Modi predicted a historic shift, saying the BJP-NDA is set to end decades of LDF rule, with polls on April 9 and results on May 4.

“If basic infrastructure is so poor, it is easy to understand what the quality of life would be,” the Prime Minister said. PM Modi further said the Centre has released five times more funds to Kerala compared to the UPA period.

PM Modi said that Keralam has been blessed with abundant natural resources, including a strong blue economy along its coastline and a thriving tourism sector. However, despite these advantages, the state is lagging behind compared to others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being felicitated at an event in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district.

In Lakhimpur, BJP National President Nitin Nabin said that a decade ago, both women and the region were unsafe under Congress rule. He asserted that the current government has ensured the safety and dignity of women while also promoting their self-reliance.