Assembly Election 2026 Highlights: BJP leader Vinod Tawde appointed party in-charge for Kerala polls

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The BJP on Tuesday appointed its national general secretary Vinod Tawde as the party’s in-charge for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections, according to an official notification. Union minister and Bengaluru North MP Shobha Karandlaje has been appointed as the co-in-charge for the Kerala polls, which are expected to be held in April.

Announcing the decision, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said party president Nitin Nabin had approved the appointments. “Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin has appointed Vinod Tawde, national general secretary, as in-charge for the forthcoming Kerala assembly elections and Union minister Shobha Karandlaje as co-in-charge,” the notification said. The appointments take effect immediately.

Veteran Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday claimed that Assam’s BJP-led double-engine government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would not last, attributing its potential downfall to “corruption and hooliganism.” Baghel also said the Congress is engaging with like-minded opposition parties to form a united front for the upcoming Assembly elections in the northeastern state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Singur next week to address an administrative programme and may also hold a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rally, party sources said. The proposed visit comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp political attack on the state government from the same location. According to TMC sources, Banerjee is expected to chair an administrative meeting in Singur, located in Hooghly district, where she will distribute benefits under various state welfare schemes. Among the key announcements likely during the programme is the disbursement of the first instalment for the construction of pucca houses under the ‘Banglar Bari’ housing scheme.

Kolkata Police detained West Bengal Congress leaders and workers protesting in front of the Election Commission Office over SIR in the state on Tuesday.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami appeared before poll officials in Kolkata for a Special Intensive Revision hearing under the voter list update exercise.
He said SIR does not harm voters and urged people to take responsibility for correcting details and ensuring their names are on the electoral rolls. Read full story here

In a strong message of organisational discipline, Modi said that Nitin Nabin is now his leader within the party. “I am the Prime Minister, but before that I am a worker of the party. As a worker, my leader is now Nitin Nabin,” he said, adding that he himself would seek guidance from the newly appointed party president. The Prime Minister said he had already submitted his “report card” of work and that Nitin Nabin would now take the process forward, including offering guidance on the party’s future course. “I am ready to take his guidance. You should also be ready,” Modi told BJP workers. PM emphasised that just as he does not “look here and there”, party workers should remain focused on the leadership’s guidance and work collectively to take the BJP forward under Nitin Nabin’s stewardship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged BJP workers to combine speed with stamina, stressing that politics is not a short-term race but a long-distance marathon that requires sustained effort and discipline. Addressing party workers, Modi said excessive speed without endurance could derail the journey, underlining the need for consistency and long-term commitment. “Politics is not a 100-metre race. It is a marathon,” he said, calling on workers to pace themselves while working to strengthen the organisation.

BJP workers in Ranchi burst crackers and distributed sweets on Monday after Nitin Navin was sworn in as the new president of the party, marking what they described as the beginning of a “Navin yug” for the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Party workers said the moment was symbolically significant as the BJP has completed 45 years, and its reins have now passed to an incumbent leader who is himself 45. According to them, the coincidence has generated fresh enthusiasm, particularly among the party’s younger cadre.
 

In his first speech as the newly-appointed chief of the BJP, Nitin Nabin said that demography is quickly changing in poll-bound states like West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, which is a concern. 

"In the next few months, elections are about to be held in Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry, and the demographics of these states are being widely discussed. The changing demographics are altering the situation there, and this presents a challenge for us. However, we are completely confident that the BJP workers, through their struggle and hard work, will lead the BJP to success in all five states," he said as reported by ANI.

Chaos erupted in West Bengal as an angry mob vandalised the BDO office in Sandeshkhali.

In his inaugural speech, the newly-appointed BJP Chief Nitin Nabin took a jibe at the ruling DMK over the Deepam festival. 

"Recently we saw how opposition parties tried to stop the sacred Karthigai Deepam festival on a hill in Tamil Nadu. This isn't the only instance; the opposition has conspired to stop other things as well. We recently saw how an attempt was made to impeach a judge. Today, when we talk about Somnath and try to celebrate this festival of pride, the people in the opposition parties feel uneasy. We believe that it is necessary to confront the forces that try to stop such traditions. We must ensure that those who deny the existence of Ram Setu and oppose the Karthigai Deepam festival have no place in Indian politics," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the BJP will form a government in Kerala in the upcoming 2026 election. 

He was addressing supporters on the day of the BJP's Working President Nitin Nabin took charge.

In the party press conference in Delhi, the ruling Trinamool Congress took a set of fresh jibes against the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision. 

"SIR stands for Software Intensive Review. We are not against it. However, we need clarity over the process," the party said. 

Adding further, MP Derek O' Brien said, "Where are the transcripts of the meetings between the ECI & TMC delegations. If ECI doesn’t release the transcript of the meetings between the TMC delegation and the CEC, we will do it."
 

In his inaugural speech in the assembly session of Kerala, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said, "Kerala has been in the forefront of implementing the demand-based employment scheme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Program. The recent amendment to the said scheme, transforming it into On VB-G Ram G, is a setback for Kerala, as the assistance from the union has decreased from 100 to 60%. There are also issues with the earlier program's demand-based nature. My government has flagged these concerns before the Union government. My government is of the view that the MGREGS system should continue." 

(With inputs from ANI)

The Tamil Nadu Governor, RN Ravi, walked out of the assembly before delivering his inaugural address.

Later, the Lok Bhavan issued a statement, citing the reasons behind the walkout. It stated, "The governor’s mic was repeatedly switched off, and he was not allowed to speak... Atrocities against Dalits and sexual violence against Dalit women are sharply increasing. However, it is totally bypassed in the speech... The national anthem is yet again insulted, and the Fundamental Constitutional Duty is disregarded." 

(With inputs from ANI)

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK) staged a walkout after the assembly session began in Tamil Nadu assembly today. 

Chaos also erupted during the session.

For the upcoming poll battle in Tamil Nadu, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) urged the people of Tamil Nadu to help the party in strategising its manifesto for the polls.

On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids in several places linked to the Travencore Devaswom Board over the Sabarimala gold theft case.