As polling concludes across four states and one Union Territory, exit polls present a shifting political landscape for 2026. While the BJP is projected to dominate in Assam and maintains a slight edge in West Bengal, the battle for Kolkata remains tight with some pollsters backing a TMC victory. In Tamil Nadu, while the DMK remains a favorite, actor Vijay’s TVK has emerged as a major disruptor, with some polls even suggesting a hung assembly. Meanwhile, Kerala appears set for its traditional power shift with the UDF leading the race, and Puducherry looks likely to retain its NDA government.

Dalal Street witnessed a sharp sell-off on Thursday, April 30, as the Nifty 50 slipped below the 24,000 mark and the Sensex shed over 580 points. Investor sentiment was crushed by a “crude punch,” with Brent crude soaring past $126 per barrel amid a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and escalating US-Iran tensions. With the rupee breaching the 95 per USD mark and FIIs continuing their multi-billion dollar exit in April, even strong Q4 earnings from players like Vedanta couldn’t stem the tide. Traders shifted to defensive bets as the market enters a long holiday weekend facing severe inflationary headwinds.

The mystery behind the Patiala blast has been solved as Punjab Police busted an active pro-Khalistani cell today. By arresting three operatives and seizing foreign weapons, the state’s intelligence team has blocked a larger plan to destabilize the region. As the investigation shifts to uncovering the group’s international financial backers, security remains on high alert to ensure peace across the state’s major urban centers.

In a major breakthrough for Indian law enforcement, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) secured the return of Mohammed Salim Dola, a high-ranking associate of fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, to India on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Dola, a notorious international drug trafficker, was brought to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from Turkey via a special aircraft following a high-stakes coordinated operation involving Indian intelligence agencies and Turkish authorities.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday delivered a strong message against terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in Bishkek, urging member nations to adopt a united and uncompromising stance against extremist threats.Addressing the high-level gathering, Singh emphasised that terrorism remains one of the most serious challenges to regional and global peace.

In a show of regional solidarity, Arvind Kejriwal and Tejashwi Yadav descended upon Kolkata on Sunday, April 26, 2026, to campaign for Mamata Banerjee ahead of the decisive second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Addressing rallies in Beleghata and Jorasanko, Kejriwal framed the election as a battle for “Bengali culture and pride,” accusing the BJP of turning the state into a fortress. The visit comes at a precarious time for the AAP chief, following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs—including Raghav Chadha—to the BJP just days prior. Despite the united front from the RJD and AAP, the INDIA bloc remains divided on the ground; Rahul Gandhi simultaneously launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress, accusing Banerjee’s government of “paving the way for the BJP” through corruption. With 142 seats heading to the polls on April 29, the rivalries within the opposition and the aggressive BJP push have turned Bengal into the ultimate theater of Indian politics.