Deadly rally, deleted video, 90L 'ghosts' and fish: Inside the high-octane chaos of 2026 poll campaign

Counting day is scheduled for May 4, 2026, with results expected to be announced after the final tallies are processed. The article notes that results would be kept under lock until counting concludes, underscoring the high-stakes nature of the 2026 campaign as outcomes in several states loom large against a backdrop of earlier violence, policy stances, and constitutional guarantees surrounding the electoral process.

In West Bengal, the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls led to about 90 lakh names being removed from voter lists, with a disproportionate impact on border areas and minority-heavy districts. Of roughly 27 lakh appeals filed for restoration, only about 1,400 voters secured relief through tribunals. The TMC warned of disenfranchisement, while the BJP defended the move as a correction of bogus entries and illegal migrants. The same period saw the first-phase turnout reach a record 92.8%. At a Kolkata rally, Mamata Banerjee declared her intent to dismantle the BJP's Delhi hold, while Amit Shah mocked the claim. The episode underscored the contested nature of voter eligibility and its electoral consequences ahead of counting day.

Vijay, Tamil cinema megastar and founder of the TVK, held a rally in Karur on September 27, 2025. He arrived more than six hours late, by which time tens of thousands had gathered at a venue permitted for 10,000. When his convoy appeared, the crowd surged repeatedly, and 41 people, including children, were killed. TVK leaders faced culpable-h homicide charges, and the CBI was invoked. Despite the tragedy, campaign dynamics continued, with authorities sometimes obstructing gatherings perceived as unfavorable, and TVK turning to substitutes like cut-outs and lookalikes in other locales. Vijay contested Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East as seats held by the DMK, signaling a show of confidence amid the fallout.

Zubeen Garg, a beloved singer across the Northeast, died on September 19, 2025 while swimming off an island in Singapore; a Singapore coroner ruled accidental drowning. Sarma claimed Garg was murdered as part of a conspiracy, a stance seized upon by Congress to promise justice within 100 days of power. Sarma countered that the judiciary cannot be bound to election timelines. Garg’s death became a focal point in Assam’s campaign narrative, intertwining cultural identity with political messaging. Garg’s legacy in the region amplified the emotional dimension of the electoral contest.

The BJP's Assam unit posted a video on X showing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma symbolically shooting Muslims with an air rifle, interspersed with AI-generated images of individuals in skullcaps and beards, captioned 'Point-blank shot.' The clip drew over a million views before being deleted. Congress condemned it as a call to mass violence, while the CPI and CPM sought relief from the Supreme Court. Sarma defended remarks later, saying he was referring to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and the government announced an arms-licence policy for natives in remote areas. He stated he wanted the situation in Assam to be explosive. The backdrop includes Sarma's unlikely ideological journey from Congress to the BJP in 2015.