Puducherry Assembly Polls: Vijay Announces Solo List, Banerjee Kicks Off Campaign | The Daily GNP
Politics, News
Mar 23, 2026·6 MIN READ
Assembly Elections 2026: TVK Goes Solo in Puducherry, Congress-DMK Split Seats as Polls Approach
Live updates on the Puducherry Assembly elections as Vijay declares 30 candidates for TVK, while Congress and DMK agree to share seats. Plus, Mamata Banerjee launches her Bhabanipur campaign.
Key Takeaways
Puducherry Party Dynamics: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay has announced candidates for all 30 assembly segments, declaring a solo contest against the alliance between the Congress and the DMK.
Congress-DMK Alliance: The two major parties have tentatively agreed to a seat-sharing deal, dividing the 30 assembly seats equally with 15 allocated to each party.
West Bengal Campaign Launch: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee initiated her re-election bid for the Bhabanipur constituency with a workers' meeting, attended by key state ministers and local councillors.
Kerala Outlook: CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan forecasts a complete loss of BJP seats in the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls, predicting a clean sweep for his party.
Assam Finalization: The Congress party has released its fifth and final candidate list, bringing their total declared candidates to 101 out of 126 seats in the Assam Assembly.
Election Schedule: Polling is scheduled for April 9 in Puducherry, Assam, and Kerala, with Tamil Nadu following on April 23, and a two-phase poll in West Bengal on April 23 and 29, concluding with counting on May 4, 2026.
As the dust settles on the initial phase of political maneuvering for the 2026 Assembly elections, the electoral landscape in India's southern states and Union Territories is rapidly taking shape. The coming weeks promise a high-stakes battle across multiple fronts, from the strategic alliances in Puducherry to the grassroots campaigns in West Bengal and the shifting sands of voter sentiment in Kerala and Assam.
The Puducherry Face-Off: Vijay vs. The Alliance
The most significant development in the Union Territory of Puducherry has emerged from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). On Sunday, March 22, 2026, TVK president Vijay made a decisive move, announcing the names of candidates for all 30 Assembly segments. In a bold strategic shift, the party has opted to contest the upcoming election as a solo entity, foregoing any broader alliances in favor of a direct challenge.
However, the opposition landscape remains formidable. The Indian National Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have moved quickly to consolidate their forces. On the same Sunday, both parties broadly agreed to a seat-sharing arrangement that will see the 30-member Assembly contested jointly. The agreement dictates a strict parity: 15 seats allocated to the Congress and 15 seats to the DMK. This coalition presents a united front against Vijay's solo bid, setting the stage for a intense three-way contest when the polls open on April 9.
Meanwhile, in West Bengal, the political atmosphere is heating up as Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee officially commenced her campaign trail. Targeting the crucial Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, Banerjee began her efforts on Sunday, March 21, 2026, with a town hall-style meeting of party workers.
The event, held at Ahindra Mancha, underscored the Chief Minister's direct engagement with the local electorate and party machinery. The gathering was bolstered by the presence of eight local TMC councillors, highlighting the party's local strength in the area. Notably, Minister Firhad Hakim, who serves as a councillor from the Bhabanipur constituency himself, was present at the meeting. His attendance reinforced the administration's commitment to the constituency, signaling a coordinated effort to secure re-election in a constituency that has often been a battleground. The West Bengal polls are scheduled for two phases, with the first on April 23 and the second on April 29, leading up to the final counting on May 4, 2026.
Strategic Moves in Kerala and Assam
In Kerala, the narrative is already shifting toward predictions of a landslide. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a candid interview with The Hindu, expressed a confident outlook regarding the state's political trajectory. He predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not secure a single seat in the upcoming Assembly polls, suggesting a dominant performance by his party that will render the opposition entirely ineffective in the state legislature.
Simultaneously, the Congress party in Assam is finalizing its battle lines. The party announced its fifth and final list of seven candidates on Sunday, March 22. This announcement brings the Congress's declared candidate count to 101 out of the 126 seats available in the State Assembly. While the final few seats remain to be contested, the party has signaled its preparedness for a comprehensive challenge across the state, which is set to go to the polls on April 9.
The Road to May 4: A Unified Counting Day
The logistical framework for these simultaneous elections has been clearly mapped out. The Union Territory of Puducherry, along with the states of Assam and Kerala, will head to the polls on April 9, 2026. Tamil Nadu, facing a separate set of political dynamics, will cast its ballots on April 23.
West Bengal's electoral timeline is more fragmented, spanning two phases: the first on April 23 and the second on April 29. Despite the staggered polling dates, the conclusion of this electoral marathon will be unified. The counting of votes for all these Assembly elections—spanning Puducherry, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal—is scheduled for a single day: May 4, 2026. This synchronization suggests a tight window for the results to cascade across the southern and eastern regions of India, potentially reshaping the political map of the nation.
The Horizon: Predictions and Political Shifts
As the election machinery gears up for the April 2026 cycle, the current developments point toward a volatile and highly contested political environment. The bold solo strategy of Vijay in Puducherry challenges the traditional dominance of the Congress-DMK alliance, forcing both the ruling and opposition blocs to recalibrate their ground game. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's early campaign launch and the strategic deployment of key ministers indicate a relentless drive to retain power, despite the competitive landscape.
The political predictions from Kerala offer a stark forecast, with the CPI(M) leadership anticipating a complete political reset that leaves no room for BJP representation. Meanwhile, the finalization of candidate lists in Assam and the upcoming polling dates create a countdown to a pivotal moment on May 4. Whether the predicted BJP sweep in Kerala materializes or the Congress-DMK synergy in Puducherry holds firm against the TVK's independence will determine the political trajectory of the region in the years to come. The stage is set for a definitive chapter in Indian democracy.
