Pitching an administrative overhaul of the State machinery, TVK chief Vijay on Thursday unveiled his party’s maiden election manifesto, promising doorstep delivery of benefits of state schemes, and legally mandated timeframes for essential public services.

Steering focus towards administration and decentralisation, the manifesto guarantees the doorstep delivery of benefits of government schemes and promises to legally bind the state to issue essential documents like community and birth certificates within a specified timeframe. 

In a novel move to encourage participatory governance, Vijay proposed allocating 10 per cent of district fund expenditures according to public wishes and dedicating a special day in the Legislative Assembly exclusively to debate issues raised directly by the people. 

-PTI

The Election Commission has stepped up its review of poll preparedness in West Bengal, with senior officials travelling to districts across the State to hold meetings with top officebearers. 

Enforcement agencies reported seizures worth more than ₹416 crore in cash and other prohibited items since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect on March 15, an official said on Thursday. 

During the past three days, senior election officials have been visiting the districts to assess security arrangements, readiness of polling stations, movement of polling personnel and voter awareness measures as part of efforts to ensure smooth conduct of the multi-phase elections, he said. 

-PTI

TVK chief Vijay on Thursday unveiled a sweeping manifesto for the April 23 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. 

• 1. Includes ₹2,500 monthly assistance for those below 60 years and 8 gram gold for marriage.
• 2. TVK assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for women-run SHGs.
• 3. Assured corruption-free good governance if voted to power.
• 4. To prevent school dropouts, mothers or guardians of children studying in government and state-aided schools will receive ₹15,000 annually.
• 5. Promised 100 special residential schools named after iconic leader Kamarajar and higher education loans of up to ₹20 lakh.
• 6. Assured AI Ministry, AI University and AI City.
• 7. Assured a full waiver of agricultural cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres of land, while those holding more than five acres will receive a 50% loan waiver.
• 8. Promised a Minimum Support Price of ₹3,500 per quintal for paddy and ₹4,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
• 9. Pledged to create five lakh new government jobs and offer five lakh stipendiary internships.
• 10. Unemployed graduates will be provided a monthly aid of up to ₹4,000.

TVK chief Vijay on Thursday released his party’s manifesto for the April 23 Assembly polls, promising ₹2,500 monthly assistance for women and 8 gram gold for marriage assistance.

He also assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides, interest-free loans up to ₹5 lakh for women-run SHGs, and ₹15,000 annually for mothers to prevent school dropouts.

For farmers, Mr. Vijay announced a full cooperative crop loan waiver for those owning less than five acres and a minimum support price of ₹3,500 per quintal for paddy. 

-PTI

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas took a dig at the Congress and its General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, saying that people of Kerala and LDF have ensured that the latter continues to function in Delhi to strengthen the grand old party.

Mr. Brittas was referring to the fact that Mr. Venugopal’s name was being suggested as a Chief Minister candidate of the Congress by many of its party leaders, in the event of Congress getting a majority in the state, after the Assembly election votes were counted on May 4.

The CPI(M) leader said that the poll results will ensure that the Congress general secretary (organisation), who is a strong support pillar of the party, continues to work in Delhi.

“We have ensured that our INDIA bloc partner does not suffer a loss at the national level,” he said sarcastically.

-PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a blistering attack on the ruling TMC, alleging that West Bengal had been pushed into an “identity crisis” over the past 15 years because of corruption, extortion and the rise of what he described as “mafia rule”.

Addressing an election rally in Birbhum district’s Rampurhat in support of BJP candidates, Mr. Adityanath said the people of Bengal no longer needed the TMC and urged them to back the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls.

“For the last 15 years, Bengal has been facing an identity crisis. Terror, extortion, corruption and mafia raj have become the state’s identity under the TMC,” he said.

The BJP leader alleged that an atmosphere of fear had been created among common people, particularly women and youth.

-PTI

The Madras High Court, on Thursday (April 16, 2026), agreed to hear on Friday (April 17) two writ petitions, one accusing many DMK candidates in general, of issuing ₹8,000 coupons to the voters in view of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and another accusing AIADMK candidate Royapuram Mano alias R. Manohar in particular of distributing ₹10,000 tokens at Harbour constituency in Chennai.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan accepted a request made by advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam for an urgent hearing of the case filed by him against DMK candidates and said that a case filed by advocate K. Raveendran against the AIADMK candidate would also be heard on Friday if both of them get numbered by the end of the day.

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday (April 16, 2026) asserted that while BJP governments in his State and Tripura don’t allow infiltration from Bangladesh, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee “welcomes” them in Bengal.

Addressing an election rally in Alipurduar district bordering Assam, Mr. Sarma also claimed that the TMC government does not allow fencing on the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal.

“In Assam and Tripura, BJP governments do not allow infiltration from Bangladesh, but (CM) Mamata Banerjee welcomes them in Bengal,” he alleged.

Mr. Sarma said a demographic change was underway in West Bengal owing to illegal immigration, and claimed that the population of Hindus is declining in the state, while that of Bangladeshi Muslims is increasing.

-PTI

Speculation over leadership continues to dog the Congress in Kerala ahead of the announcement of the 2026 Assembly election results on May 4.

Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) K. Sudhakaran, MP, appeared to reopen the playbook of factional politics in the post-poll period by advocating for the “strong leadership” of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP, in State politics. 

Mr. Sudhakaran’s contentious Facebook post on Wednesday also appeared to have opened the door for criticism by pro-Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] social media handles that the “post-election surge in “infighting” in the Congress over the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) “prospective” Chief Minister candidate “betrayed a failure to delieanate” clear governance or political goals at the hustings to convincingly press the Opposition’s case for a regime change.

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A static surveillance team has seized gold jewellery and ornaments worth ₹245 crore from a container vehicle during a check in the early hours of Thursday (April 16, 2026) in Adyar on the grounds that consignment lacks movement permission during election. The consignment was later handed over to the Income Tax Department.

A Static Surveillance Team (SST-1) from Zone 13 intercepted the container lorry, which was accompanied by an escort vehicle at 1.30 a.m. at the Adyar Bridge Road-Vasantha Press Road junction, opposite MGM Hospital, in the Velachery Assembly constituency. 

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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, “Meat has never been banned in BJP-ruled states, including Assam, where it has been in power for the past 10 years.”

Women voters in the migrant-majority belts of Samserganj and Lalgola in West Bengal are emerging as a potentially decisive force in Murshidabad’s election, with many saying that their concerns over jobs, migration and deletions from electoral rolls now matter more than the identity politics dominating the campaign.

With thousands of men from the two constituencies working in Kerala, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and the Gulf, women are running households, dealing with banks and government offices, and for the first time, taking political decisions of their own.- PTI

In Chennai’s traditionally male-dominated political landscape, a handful of women candidates from four major political parties have stepped into the electoral fray, putting forward distinct visions for their constituencies and the city.

As parties in the State continue to release their manifestos, the demand to bring education back to the State list has echoed strongly in most of them. From the DMK, AIADMK to NTK and VCK, most parties have continuously iterated that education be moved to the State list. This demand was also voiced during the 2021 Assembly election.

People from Narikuravar community perform during the DMK’s election campaign in Madurai on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Photo credit: Ashok R / The Hindu

The Chennai police have filed cases against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay and party functionaries at the West Mambalam, Nungambakkam, and Vepery police stations for conducting roadshows in alleged violation of the poll code while campaigning in the city on Wednesday (April 16, 2026).

The Zonal officer's team inserting the ballot papers to EVMs in Thoothukudi Assembly Constituency on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Photo credit: Rajesh N

Campaigning for DMK candidate for Madurai Central Assembly constituency Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Wednesday (April 15, 2026), former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the AIADMK was a ‘tiny doll’ in the BJP-led Delhi alliance.

West Bengal Minister for Forests, Self Help Groups and Self Employment Birbaha Hansda, who is contesting the Assembly polls from Binpur, says the proposed Uniform Civil Code threatens tribal traditions and autonomy. 

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Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday (April 16) criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), calling it the “real trump card” of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal.

Taking it to X, Mr. Banerjee said, “If you think Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, or Yogi Adityanath are the BJP’s trump cards in Bengal, you are sorely mistaken. The real trump card fighting for the BJP from the shadows is the Chief Election Commissioner. BJP calls the shots, and the Election Commission obediently follows orders.” He further alleged that several security agencies have been deployed in the State to single out those who are protected by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).- ANI

AIADMK candidate R. Santhanakrishnan and fledgling TVK’s V.S. Babu are locked in a fierce triangular contest with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is contesting for the fourth time from Chennai’s Kolathur Assembly constituency.

Though Santhanakrishnan and Babu are no novice to electoral fray, they are pitted against Stalin who had romped home the winner in 2011, 2016, and 2021 Assembly elections from Kolathur, and had established the seat as his fort.

Despite the high stakes, both Santhanakrishnan and Babu have been actively campaigning in this constituency in north Chennai, where Stalin has introduced several innovative initiatives including Mudhalvar Padaippagam, a co-working space and learning centre that was replicated in other constituencies across the State.-- PTI