With the scorching summer heat gripping large parts of India, the election season has been at the stage of conclusion which adds further intensity to an already charged political atmosphere.
Despite the difficult weather conditions, voter turnout has remained strong in several regions, reflecting sustained public engagement in the democratic process.
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have both recorded notably high participation in largely peaceful assembly elections, with ruling and opposition parties each claiming electoral advantage. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 constituencies went to polls, witnessing a record turnout of 85.11%, or nearly 48.8 million voters, the highest in the state’s history despite voter roll deletions. West Bengal’s first phase also saw exceptionally high participation at around 92.35%, or 33.2 million voters, marking one of the strongest turnouts since 2011, even after significant revisions to electoral rolls. Women voters outnumbered men in several areas, and polling remained largely peaceful with only isolated incidents.
In West Bengal, both the BJP and Trinamool Congress have claimed momentum, while in Tamil Nadu the contest is primarily between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, with actor-politician Vijay’s TVK also in the fray. Even as sporadic incidents of violence were reported in parts of Bengal, officials said voting remained broadly peaceful, with some constituencies crossing 96% turnout.
In Gujarat, voter participation was comparatively lower but still steady, with around 48.55% turnout in municipal corporation elections and close to 58% in Nagar Palika polls, while district and taluka panchayats recorded around 60–61% voting by evening.
Alongside the electoral activity, political developments within the Aam Aadmi Party have added to the broader political churn, with Raghav Chadha and several MPs reportedly leaving the party to join the BJP, a move seen as potentially strengthening the ruling party’s position ahead of upcoming national political contests.
BJP sweeps Gujarat local body polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delivered a strong performance in the Gujarat local body elections, winning 856 of 1,044 seats across 15 municipal corporations and securing a dominant position in municipalities and panchayats.
Voting was held on Sunday for 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 260 taluka panchayats, including elections in nine newly formed municipal corporations such as Navsari, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, and others.
The BJP, Congress, and AAP were the main contenders, with AIMIM also contesting in several areas. According to State Election Commission data, voter turnout stood at 55.1% in municipal corporations, 65.53% in municipalities, 66.64% in district panchayats, and 67.26% in taluka panchayats, covering nearly 9,200 seats and over 4.18 crore voters.
In a notable result from Godhra, independent candidate Apekshaben Naineshbhai Soni won Ward No. 7, an area with a 100% Muslim voter base, drawing attention for its message of cross-community support.
Tight battle in Bengal as TMC, BJP clash over issues
The phase covers 142 constituencies across eight districts, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur seat, with key urban areas witnessing strong debates over anti-incumbency, the school recruitment scam, and voter list controversies.
After 15 years in power, anti-incumbency remains a major challenge for Banerjee, with voter concerns around jobs, corruption, governance, and law and order dominating the campaign. The TMC has responded by emphasising welfare schemes and direct benefit transfers, with women voters playing a significant role.
The school recruitment scam remains a key issue, after courts cancelled around 25,000 teaching appointments due to irregularities and ordered fresh recruitment. Opposition parties have also targeted the government over broader allegations of corruption and administrative failures.
Local issues such as alleged “tolabazi” or extortion and identity politics around Bengali identity, the Matua community, language, and citizenship have further shaped the campaign, with the TMC focusing on regional identity and the BJP raising concerns around migration and citizenship.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls has added further controversy, with around nine million names removed, including absentees and deceased voters, and several million cases still pending review. The BJP has supported the exercise as a crackdown on illegal infiltration, while the TMC has called it an attempt to disenfranchise genuine voters, especially minorities and vulnerable groups. The matter remains under judicial review.
Women’s safety has also been a major campaign theme following high-profile crimes, alongside competing claims over crime data and law enforcement. Meanwhile, both parties have focused on development narratives, BJP emphasising industrial growth and TMC promoting welfare and infrastructure schemes.
High-voltage campaign ends ahead of final vote
As the West Bengal election campaign concluded ahead of the final phase of voting on April 29, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah stepped up last-minute outreach to voters.
Narendra Modi said West Bengal holds a deep personal and spiritual significance for him, describing his connection as a devotion to Shakti inspired by the state’s culture and people.
Addressing a rally in Barrackpore, he called it his final campaign event in the state and expressed confidence in the outcome, saying he expected to return after the May 4 results for a BJP swearing-in ceremony.
Modi said he felt a strong emotional connection with people during his West Bengal campaign, adding that he deeply values the messages, portraits, and gestures he receives from supporters and reviews them carefully after events.
He said he often reflects on letters and artwork sent to him, describing them as expressions of both pain and blessings that he acknowledges thoughtfully. Highlighting his long political career, he said he has spent decades travelling across the country as a party worker for the Bharatiya Janata Party, taking on responsibilities without concern for time or conditions, and added that he considers the public as his extended family.
Modi said a BJP government would ensure no discrimination based on caste or community, while taking strict action against illegal infiltrators and extending citizenship benefits to the Matua community. He also criticised the Trinamool Congress for ignoring voters’ mandate and urged support for BJP’s “double-engine” governance model while campaigning in Barrackpore for Kaustav Bagchi against Trinamool’s Raj Chakraborty and CPI(M)’s Suman Ranjan Bandyopadhyay.
Meanwhile, Amit Shah said central forces deployed in West Bengal would stay for at least 60 days after polling to ensure security, urging voters not to fear “goons” and highlighting Election Commission arrangements. He also held a roadshow in support of BJP candidates in Behala Purba and Behala Paschim.
During Phase 1 of the election campaign in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited a local “jhalmuri” stall in Jhargram, using the moment to connect with voters and counter narratives about the BJP in the state. He paid Rs 10 for the snack and highlighted how even simple street food reflects Bengal’s affordability and culture.
Across the state, election campaigning has taken on a strong cultural tone. In places like Kolkata’s Salt Lake, candidates have used local symbols such as fish while canvassing, reflecting how food and identity are closely linked in Bengal politics, where fish is a key part of cultural life. The TMC has long projected Mamata Banerjee as “Banglar Nijer Meye” (Bengal’s own daughter), though this messaging has been less prominent in the current election as the BJP has increased its number of Bengali leaders.
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Raghav Chadha joins BJP in major AAP setback
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has left the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), days after a reported rift with the party leadership.
Announcing his decision, Chadha said AAP had moved away from its founding principles and was no longer working in the national interest. He added that after years of internal differences, he felt he was “the right man in the wrong party” and decided to part ways.
He said that more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs have merged with the BJP, with several members signing and submitting the required documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Following the announcement, MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal met BJP National President Nitin Nabin at the party headquarters, where they were formally welcomed into the BJP.
The development is seen as a major setback for AAP in Parliament, where it had built a strong Rajya Sabha presence in recent years, mainly through electoral gains in Punjab and Delhi. After winning 92 of 117 seats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, most of its Upper House strength came from Punjab. If the merger is approved, BJP’s numbers in the Rajya Sabha will increase while AAP’s presence will shrink significantly.
AAP’s remaining strength in the Upper House would be reduced to three MPs; N D Gupta, Balbir Singh Seechewal, and Sanjay Singh, who are expected to continue with the party.
AAP has historically seen a number of high-profile exits, with several founding members and senior leaders parting ways over the years. This includes figures such as Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Ashish Khetan, Kapil Mishra and others, reflecting recurring internal disagreements and ideological differences within the party since its early years.
