Assembly elections in India are held to choose representatives for the State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabhas). Each state is divided into constituencies, and citizens vote to elect a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from their area. These elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India, which ensures the process is free and fair.
The political party or coalition that wins a majority of seats in the assembly forms the state government. Its leader becomes the Chief Minister, who heads the executive branch at the state level. If no party gets a clear majority, alliances may be formed to establish a government.
Assembly elections usually take place every five years, although they can occur earlier if the assembly is dissolved. Voting is done through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), making the process efficient and transparent.
These elections are important because state governments handle key areas like law and order, education, health, and agriculture.
Therefore, assembly elections play a crucial role in shaping governance and development at the regional level. They also reflect the political preferences and issues that matter most to people within individual states of India.
Akhilesh Yadav will visit Ayodhya on 12 December with family to offer prayers at Ram Mandir, amid political reactions.
BJP criticised Sonia Gandhi's remarks on the Babri Masjid demolition, highlighting the political dispute ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections.
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections debate highlighted governance, crime reduction, welfare initiatives, and election dynamics between BJP and Samajwadi Party.
A political confrontation has emerged between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, triggered by campaign posters featuring party chief Akhilesh Yadav alongside Lord Krishna with the slogan '27 Mein Krishna Aayenge'.
Political parties BJP and Samajwadi Party engage in poster war ahead of 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections focusing on religious and voter issues.
Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders met to discuss protests, the SIR debate, and strategies for upcoming elections after Diwali.
This broadcast of To The Point, hosted by Preeti Choudhry, tracks two major national debates: growing scrutiny facing the Election Commission of India and reported revisions to the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
The government has announced a revamp of the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, offering seventy-five per cent of recruits an extended engagement of two years and an opportunity for regular permanent enrollment. While supporters argue the move strengthens the armed forces and expands post-service financial and career options for youth, the opposition claims the revision is a political U-turn driven by upcoming assembly elections in states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.
Ahead of the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the issue of Minimum Support Price for farmers. Speaking at an event in Haryana, Shah accused Gandhi of making false promises to the farming community. Highlighting agricultural procurement policies, he stated that Haryana is already providing MSP on 24 crops and urged farmers to reject the Congress party's guarantees and place their trust in the BJP instead. Shah appealed to voters to support the formation of a BJP or NDA government to address farmers' concerns.
A political war of words has broken out in Uttar Pradesh following the election of Abdul El-Sayed to the United States Senate from Michigan. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi drew parallels between the American election and Uttar Pradesh politics, stating that while the Bharatiya Janata Party claims 'Abdul' fixes punctures and the Samajwadi Party says he lays carpets, democracy has seen him become a senator. Owaisi asserted that in Uttar Pradesh, the community will now produce legislators and leaders rather than laying carpets for other parties. In response, the Samajwadi Party accused Owaisi of acting as a 'Hyderabadi Abdul' and serving as the Bharatiya Janata Party's proxy to divide minority votes. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party reacted by stating that earlier governments deceived the community for votes and money, whereas welfare schemes under the current leadership have delivered tangible benefits to all without discrimination.
The Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack against the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Congress over the prevailing drug menace in Punjab. The party claimed that the drug syndicate in the state can only be eradicated if the National Democratic Alliance is voted to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highlighting the central government's track record in curbing Naxalism and dismantling terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP representatives argued that neither the Aam Aadmi Party nor the Congress possesses the intent or ability to resolve the crisis. The attack follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Jalandhar, where an ambition was set to eliminate drugs from Punjab by December 31, 2029. With the 2027 assembly elections approaching, the BJP positioned itself as the sole viable alternative to address the widespread drug network affecting the state.
The political confrontation between the INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party has escalated over the Special Summary Revision process, Election Commission functioning, and voter roll controversies. Following a gathering by opposition parties at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, the Bharatiya Janata Party organised counter-rallies, demonstrations, and padayatras across Hyderabad, Bihar, and West Bengal. Senior leaders, including Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury and BJP leader Sushmita Dev, traded arguments over turnout figures, public grievances, draft electoral rolls, and voter deletions. An India Today panel featuring Tavleen Singh, Ashutosh, and Rajat Sethi analyzed the political fallout, addressing allegations concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition demonstrations targeting constitutional bodies, and the question of contesting elections amid manipulation claims. The panelists examined street mobilization versus organizational readiness, regional strategies including the Samajwadi Party's focus on Uttar Pradesh, and the BJP's counter-measures ahead of upcoming assembly elections. The standoff highlights sharp disputes surrounding electoral integrity, crowd numbers, and narrative building across state battlegrounds.
A panel of prominent political commentators examines the political fallout of the INDIA Alliance rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan and the growing confrontation between the opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Senior journalist and author Tavleen Singh notes the notable crowd turnout, remarking, 'this is the first time that I see real pushback against the government,' while expressing concern over the opposition's attacks on democratic institutions and the Election Commission. Political analyst Ashutosh asserts that the BJP leadership appears rattled by the opposition's street mobilization, questioning how the opposition can contest elections while challenging the credibility of the Chief Election Commissioner. In contrast, political analyst Rajat Sethi argues that optics and protests in Delhi do not equate to grassroots organization or electoral success, noting that regional partners like the Samajwadi Party will not boycott the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections. The panel discusses the high stakes ahead of key state assembly polls.
The political confrontation in Uttar Pradesh has intensified with sharp exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition. From Gonda, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister criticised the previous state government, alleging that the Samajwadi Party regime pushed the state into darkness, joblessness, hunger, and corruption, specifically citing a food grain scam. In response, the Samajwadi Party leadership targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party following an opposition rally in Delhi, asserting that the ruling party will face defeat in the state. The opposition stated that while voters offered a partial rejection in the parliamentary elections, the 2027 assembly elections will result in a complete departure for the ruling alliance.
Three rebel Aam Aadmi Party legislators in Punjab have resigned and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. The legislators include Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who resigned from the Amritsar North constituency. Responding to the crossover, Punjab Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal stated that the party had given due respect to the legislators and maintained that their departure was not a setback, remarking that people come and go in political organisations. Simultaneously, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed a public gathering in Patiala, hitting out at both the BJP and the Congress. Mann alleged that the BJP serves as an extension of the Congress, citing prominent former Congress leaders who had previously switched over to the saffron party. Mann further stated that those switching parties were betraying Punjab, observing that while the opposition parties appear to be at odds publicly, they often share personal ties.
In a major political development ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, three rebel legislators associated with the Aam Aadmi Party joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its central headquarters in New Delhi. The leaders inducted into the party include Amritsar North MLA and former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Sanaur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, and Samana MLA and former cabinet minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra. The event was held in the presence of senior BJP leaders, including party national general secretary and Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, and Delhi leader Virendra Sachdeva. Addressing media persons during the joining programme, a party spokesperson highlighted that the leaders chose to join following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welfare policies and expressed concern over governance in Punjab. The joining comes shortly after the Aam Aadmi Party announced its candidate list, which excluded their names.
In a major political setback for the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, three sitting legislators—Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh—resigned and arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi to formally join the party. The rift widened following the announcement of AAP's first list of candidates, in which sitting legislators were denied party tickets. The rebel leaders cited long-standing grievances regarding governance failures in Punjab, particularly highlighting deteriorating law and order and the unchecked drug menace in the state. While AAP maintained that the departing leaders were already suspended and moved to cancel their legislative memberships, the induction of three sitting MLAs and a former legislator is viewed as a significant boost to the BJP's electoral ambitions in Punjab.
In a major political development ahead of the upcoming elections in Punjab, two rebel Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, Harmeet Singh and Chetan Singh, have resigned from the party and mounted sharp attacks against the Bhagwant Mann government. Speaking to India Today, the legislators accused the administration of failing to control the state's drug menace and fulfil guarantees made by Arvind Kejriwal regarding healthcare, education, and farmers. They cited unaddressed grievances, including the murder of anti-drug activist Jhota and persisting drug hotspots in constituencies like Samana, as primary triggers for stepping down. Rejecting allegations of dissatisfaction solely over ticket distribution, the MLAs stated that issues raised in the assembly had gone unheeded. Highlighting deteriorating law and order, extortion by gangsters, and traders struggling over pending goods and services tax refunds, the departing leaders claimed rampant public distress under the current governance in Punjab.
A mega blueprint accessed by India Today outlines the Bharatiya Janata Party's strategy for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be at the forefront of the campaign. The Prime Minister is set to address rallies across administrative divisions and commissionerates, while Amit Shah focuses on mobilising booth-level workers through regional meetings and conventions. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National General Secretary Nitin Nabin are also scheduled to hold events across the state, with campaign activities set to begin after November 20.
A mega opposition rally held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan brought together leaders and cadre from multiple parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Trinamool Congress, to protest against alleged vote theft and voter deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Protesters targeted the Election Commission, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over charges of compromising institutional neutrality. Slogans and handmade placards were raised by party workers and ordinary citizens, demonstrating broad mobilisation. Observers noted that the voter deletion issue is emerging as a primary poll plank ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. While high-intensity protests in the national capital may see a temporary pause ahead of Diwali, opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Tejashwi Yadav remain united in pressing their allegations of stolen electoral mandates. The show of strength reflects renewed energy and momentum among opposition party workers.
