Overview
- The first half of 2026 features assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, with Maharashtra’s BMC and 28 other municipal polls set for January 15.
- After strong wins in Delhi and Bihar in 2025, the BJP enters 2026 with organisational tailwinds and is poised to install Nitin Nabin as party president in the coming months.
- The Congress has set a yearlong push centered on welfare delivery, grassroots mobilisation and voter‑list oversight, even as internal rifts weigh on preparations in key states.
- India will launch a fully digital Census in 2026 that includes a caste count, with houselisting from April to September and population enumeration in February 2027, reviving debates on delimitation and representation.
- The opposition has announced nationwide protests against the G‑RAM‑G law from January 5, while Parliament prepares for contentious proposals including synchronised elections and navigates a busy year of Rajya Sabha retirements.