Assembly Elections highlights: Left Front releases third list of 15 candidates for Bengal polls

The Congress on Monday (March 23) expressed concern over ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) deciding to contest 21 seats in the upcoming Assam Assembly elections independently, saying the move could split anti-BJP tribal votes.

The JMM earlier in the day announced 21 candidates for the April 9 elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly.

Congress leader Rakesh Ranjan said the party had hoped JMM would contest the polls as part of the opposition coalition. “We wanted to contest the Assam elections together. Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi had visited Jharkhand along with other senior leaders, and we expected an alliance with JMM. However, the party chose to field 21 candidates on its own, which may split tribal votes,” he said.

- PTI

Sunny Joseph dismisses concerns of internal dissent within the Congress over granting electoral berth to former CPI(M) leaders, says the UDF’s decision to support such leaders will strengthen the coalition; results of local body elections indicate strong anti-incumbency sentiment, he adds

Puducherry sitting Congress MP, V. Vaithilingam, filed his nomination on Monday (March 23) for the Thattanchavady constituency here, setting the stage for a confrontation with incumbent Chief Minister and AINRC leader N. Rangasamy.

A two-time CM (from 1991 to 1996 and 2008 to 2011) and current Lok Sabha MP, Vaithilingam, filed his nomination today.

His entry as a sitting MP signals the Congress-DMK alliance’s intent to reclaim the ground.

Senior Congress leader V.D. Satheesan has declared assets worth around ₹3 crore, including movable and immovable properties, in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission on Monday (March 23) for contesting the polls from North Paravoor.

Mr. Satheesan has movable assets worth ₹53.82 lakh, while his wife has movable assets worth ₹68.45 lakh.

His immovable assets, including land and other properties, are valued at ₹2.42 crore, while his wife’s immovable property is valued at ₹1.85 crore.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress on Monday (March 23) reached a seat-sharing pact for the 2026 Puducherry Assembly elections.

30 constituencies in Puducherry will undergo polls, with Congress to contest 16 and the DMK to contest on 14 seats.

“We will share seats among the alliance parties in the 14 seats allotted to DMK,” the party’s Puducherry election in-charge Jagadrakshagan said.

- ANI

After days of hard bargaining, the CPI-M on Monday (March 23) night finally accepted the five seats offered by the DMK for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and CPI-M State secretary P. Shanmugam signed the agreement at the Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. 

“Though not satisfied, we accepted the seats because we do not want to create a favourable condition for the AIADMK-BJP combine,” said Mr. Shanmugam.

- The Hindu Bureau

The presence of a seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala unit on a 2019 Election Commission of India (EC) letter on poll-related guidelines, which was distributed to political parties recently, sparked a row in the State on Monday, the final day for submitting nominations for the April 9 Assembly polls in the State.

Ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls in Kerala, some of the defining moments from the State’s rich electoral history have been compiled in ‘Vottarivu,’ a compendium on Kerala elections published by the Thiruvananthapuram unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

V. Palanichamy, Additional Director General (Region), PIB Thiruvananthapuram, released the volume by handing over a copy to Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar here on Monday (March 23).

The Congress and DMK on Monday (March 23) reached an accord for the upcoming Assembly polls in the Union Territory, where the Congress will contest 16 seats.

The DMK has been allotted the remaining 14 seats. The DMK, from its kitty, will allocate seats to the INDI bloc constituents VCK and CPI.

DMK delegate and Lok Sabha member S. Jagathratchagan and Puducherry PCC president V. Vaithilingam announced the seat-sharing agreement at a press conference here.

- PTI

The ECI on Monday (March 23) has clarified that the letter from the Election Commission, bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been circulated across various Malayalam news channels, was purely a clerical error.

The ECI has said, “The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) hereby clarifies that this was purely a clerical error, which was identified and rectified immediately.” 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the key constituents of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu, has been allocated 27 seats for the Assembly election, seven higher than in 2021. 

The Election Commission is aiming to achieve a voter turnout exceeding 85% in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, CEO Ratan U. Kelkar said on Monday (March 23).

He was speaking at the release of ‘Vottarivu’, an election reference manual prepared by the Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram, for journalists covering the 2026 Assembly polls.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the State witnessed 75.60% voter turnout.

- PTI

The CPI (M) in Kerala on Monday (March 23) slammed the Election Commission’s decision not to consider voter list inclusion applications submitted after March 15 and said the move amounts to an “infringement of the constitutional right to vote”.

The ruling party also urged the ECI to adhere to its earlier assurance allowing applications till the last date of filing nominations.

In a statement issued by its state Secretariat, the party said the poll panel should ensure that applications submitted up to the final date of nomination are considered for addition to the voters’ list.

- PTI

A ‘Hot Air Balloon’ campaign was launched in the Tiruchi district, urging citizens to register themselves in the voters’ list and exercise their franchise in the upcoming election.

- The Hindu Bureau

The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu on Monday (March 23) finalised a seat-sharing arrangement for key constituents of the alliance for the April 23 Assembly polls, with the Dravidian party allotting 27 seats for BJP, 18 for PMK, and 11 for AMMK.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, addressing a crowded press conference at party headquarters Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maaligai, here, said talks continued with other allies as well, and it will be concluded by tonight.

The names of Constituencies to be contested by alliance parties will be identified soon, he said, adding the seat-sharing talks were cordial.

- PTI

The Election Commission on Monday (March 23) questioned the locus standi of the petitioner in filing a PIL challenging the transfer of several officers of the West Bengal Government after the announcement of Assembly elections in the State.

The petitioner, a lawyer, claimed in the PIL that 79 officers, 63 police personnel, and 16 civil servants have been shifted by the ECI since the announcement of the Assembly polls on March 15.

- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate K. Ranjith on Monday (March 23) filed his nomination from the Dharmadam Constituency in Kannur district for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.

The nomination papers were submitted before District Registrar Sachin Krishnan at the Thalassery Registrar’s Office, marking the formal entry of the BJP-led NDA into a key electoral contest.

Dharmadam holds political significance as it is currently represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, making the constituency one of the most closely watched electoral battlegrounds in the State.

- ANI

Puducherry BJP president V.P. Ramalingam on Monday (March 23) filed his nomination from Raj Bhavan Constituency for the Assembly elections to be held on April 9.

The Raj Bhavan seat is currently held by All India NR Congress (AINRC) Minister K. Lakshminarayanan, and has now been transferred to the BJP in NDA’s seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming polls.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Tamil Nadu BJP in-charge and actor Khushboo were present during the filing of nomination.

-ANI

BJP’s Odisha unit will handle poll management work in 36 Assembly segments of neighbouring West Bengal, which votes in two phases on April 23 and 29, a senior party leader said.

Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, said, “They [West Bengal unit] are looking after the major part of the electioneering. We have been assigned to look after management in only 36 Assembly segments, and our people have been deployed in each of the assigned areas.” Mr. Samal said the State unit has drawn up a roadmap to actively campaign across six southern districts of the neighbouring State.

- PTI

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M] and the Congress on Monday (March 23) accused each other of attempting to fragment the traditional Left Democratic Front (LDF)-United Democratic Front (UDF) duopoly in Kerala by covertly seeking to aid the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in key Assembly constituencies in Kerala. 

The 53-year-old AIADMK, the principal Opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, is hoping that the April 23 election will end its lean phase in electoral politics, which began in December 2017 with the party’s defeat in the R.K. Nagar by-election.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday (March 23, 2026) announced its list of 21 candidates for the elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly.

“After a detailed deliberation, the JMM has decided to contest 21 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in Assam,” JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey told PTI.

Mr. Pandey said the party has fielded Priti Rekha Baria from Mazbat, Teharu Gour from Biswanath, Amit Nag from Khumtai, Bhuben Murari from Chabua, Phedricson Hasda from Gossaingaon, Baldev Teli from Sonari, Peter Minj from Duliajan, Paban Sautal from Rongonadi, Bharat Nayak from Digboi and Prabhat Das Panika from Bhergaon, among others.- PTI

Lt Governor of Puducherry has declared April 9 a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act in view of the election to the territorial Assembly that day.

An order of the Home Department of Puducherry Administration issued on Monday (March 23) said that the holiday has been declared for all government offices, institutions, local bodies, commercial and industrial establishments in the Union Territory (UT) to enable voters employed therein to exercise their franchise.- PTI

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has raised questions about the “apolitical” nature of actor Ramesh Pisharody, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the Palakkad constituency in Kerala, pointing at his statements dismissing protests in Kerala against the deaths in Gaza.

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed that “rapid demographic changes” under the TMC’s rule in West Bengal could soon turn Hindus into a minority in several districts, making it “very difficult” for candidates belonging to the community to win elections in the future.

In an interview with PTI, the former state BJP president said the party has recalibrated its campaign after failing to come to power in the 2021 assembly polls and is now banking on strengthening booth-level organisation, pushing a more “Bengal-centric” narrative, and cleansing electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which he believes could alter the electoral arithmetic.

He framed the 2026 assembly polls as a demographic turning point for the state.

“The census has not happened yet, but Mamata Banerjee herself said Muslims constitute around 33 per cent of the population. It could be 33–35%. This percentage will increase in the next five years. After that, it will become very difficult for Hindus to win elections,” he said.

-PTI

Ramesh Pisharody, Congress candidate in Palakkad for the April 9 Assembly poll, on Monday said he would not respond in the same tone to senior CPI(M) leader T.M. Thomas Isaac’s remarks on fielding a comedian actor, asserting that he has “culture”.

Speaking to reporters in Palakkad, Mr. Pisharody said he was not willing to reply to a senior leader like Isaac at the same level.

Mr. Isaac, reacting to the UDF’s allegation that CPI(M) and BJP have entered into a deal in the Palakkad constituency, had said such claims were being made because the Congress had fielded a comedian instead of a widely accepted candidate.

“Congress, which ruled the country, has given the freedom to express opinions. We have the right to comment on others. Let him make his comments using that freedom,” Mr. Pisharody said.

-PTI

TMC leader Jyotipriya Mallick, once considered among West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted lieutenants in North 24 Parganas, believes a “record victory” in the Assembly polls would be his reply to “conspiracy that led to his imprisonment” in the alleged ration distribution scam case.

Mr. Mallick, popularly known as ‘Balu’ among party workers, told PTI in an interview that people’s verdict would be his answer to those who “tried to finish him off politically”.

“My victory with a record margin will be the answer to the conspiracy that put me behind bars,” the five-term MLA said.

The Habra seat in North 24 Parganas district has emerged as one of the most closely watched constituencies in the 2026 assembly polls, not only because Mallick is attempting a comeback after spending months in jail following the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the alleged ration scam but also because the BJP has turned the contest into a campaign centred around corruption allegations.

-PTI

Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir yesterday announced the names of candidates for various constituencies of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.

Addressing a gathering in Murshidabad, Kabir said that he will be contesting elections from Bhabanipur against CM Mamata Banerjee & LoP Suvendu Adhikari.

“In Rejinagar of Murshidabad, 154 candidates will contest in various constituencies across Bengal. I will be contesting in Rejinagar & Nowda Assembly constituency, and Punam Begam is contesting from Bhabanipur against CM Mamata Banerjee & LoP Suvendu Adhikari. Asif Iqbal is contesting in Berhampore. AJUP will contest in 182 seats in Bengal; the rest of the names will be announced soon,” he said.

-ANI

District Collector Anu Kumari and her team took part in a paragliding and parasailing event at Varkala on Sunday as part of the campaign to ensure maximum voter participation in Thiruvananthapuram district in the April 9 Assembly elections.

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A case has been registered against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State vice-president and party’s candidate in the Guruvayur Assembly Constituency B. Gopalakrishnan by the Guruvayur temple police for his alleged communal remark in a campaign video.

Sources said the case had been registered following the intervention of the Election Commission of India (EC). Acting on the instructions of Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar, the Thrissur District Collector initiated action against Mr. Gopalakrishnan for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Read more:

As the 2026 State Assembly elections approach, the spotlight has shifted to the sitting Ministers within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala.

The Cabinet includes 11 Ministers from the CPI(M) and four from the CPI, with the Kerala Congress (M), Janata Dal (S) which has since been merged with Indian Socialist Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress (Secular), National Secular Conference, and Kerala Congress (B), each contributing one Minister.

Read more:’

For the first time in over five decades, an Assembly election in Kerala is unfolding without Oommen Chandy in the fray, a presence that had long defined the political rhythm of his constituency, Puthuppally, as well as the state.

The Congress stalwart’s absence is not merely electoral; it is deeply personal for many in this central Kerala constituency.

Nearly three years after his demise, a steady stream of visitors continues to arrive at his tomb at St George Orthodox Church near his ancestral home here, offering quiet prayers -- a testament to the bond he shared with ordinary people.

That emotional connection now forms a significant part of the Congress-led UDF’s appeal among voters across the state.

In the bypoll that followed his death, his son, Chandy Oommen, stepped into the political space his father had occupied for decades, securing the seat and, in the process, reaffirming the family’s hold over the constituency.

-PTI

With a fortnight left for the crucial Assembly polls, electioneering has gathered momentum in the district.

Ignoring the searing summer heat and humid climatic conditions, the candidates and their supporters are busily engaged in campaigning in all 14 Assembly constituencies of the district. Almost all the candidates were out in the field on Sunday (March 22), meeting voters and prominent citizens of the constituencies.

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The All India Trinamool Congress has fielded an Assam MLA who stirred a hornet’s nest by suggesting a Miya Museum at a cultural centre in Guwahati five years ago.

Sherman Ali Ahmed figured in the list of seven candidates announced by the Trinamool on yesterday. He is contesting from Mandia, a Muslim-dominated constituency in western Assam’s Barpeta district.

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The Election Commission of India is likely to publish the first supplementary voters’ list for poll-bound West Bengal today evening as part of the ongoing SIR exercise, officials said.

The list will be released in the same manner as the final electoral roll, with copies sent to district election officers and subsequently displayed at polling booths across the state, they said.

“The adjudication process has been extensive, and a significant number of cases, over 27 lakh, have already been resolved after due verification. The supplementary list transparently incorporates these outcomes,” an EC official said.

These 27 lakh voters were among 60 lakh who were marked as “under adjudication” in the final voters’ list published on February 28.

-PTI

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)leader Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that his party will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP).

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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay yesterday announced candidates for all 30 Assembly segments in the Union Territory of Puducherry as the party is going alone to face the upcoming elections on April 9.

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