India
oi-Oneindia Staff
Assembly Election 2026 LIVE Updates: Voting for all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in the first phase of West Bengal will take place on Thursday, in the elections that set to test the strength of major parties and their leaders.
The polls will determine the future of dominant regional forces-the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led by M. K. Stalin and Mamata Banerjee respectively. The elections will also gauge the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prospects as a challenger in West Bengal and its ability to expand in Tamil Nadu alongside the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Voting for Tamil Nadu’s 234 seats and West Bengal’s first phase 152 constituencies occurs Thursday, testing DMK (Stalin), TMC (Mamata Banerjee), BJP, and actor Vijay’s new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party.
A notable new entrant is the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by actor-turned-politician Vijay. Contesting all 234 seats, the party presents itself as a clean alternative in a state long shaped by Dravidian politics.
While Tamil Nadu votes in a single phase, the remaining constituencies in West Bengal will go to the polls on 29 April. Campaigning in both states has been intense. In West Bengal, the BJP is seeking to unseat the TMC, in power since 2011, amid disputes over voter list revisions-allegations the party and the Election Commission deny.
Key constituencies include Nandigram, where BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari faces renewed scrutiny, alongside Darjeeling and Siliguri. In Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeks to consolidate his leadership, while attention also centres on emerging figures and shifting political dynamics.
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Poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs and liquor meant to allure voters, have crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
