This week on Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior journalist Sreenivasan Jain and Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of The News Minute. The panel dives into the high-stakes 2026 assembly elections across Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.

Sreenivasan Jain describes Assam as the “most one-sided” contest of the cycle, with the BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma poised for a comfortable return despite a decade in power. Jain notes limited anti-incumbency, praising improvements in infrastructure and the delivery of roughly 1.5 lakh government jobs “without too much corruption”. 

However, he sharply criticises Sarma’s “toxic campaign” against Assam’s Muslims, characterising the strategy of home demolitions and arming communities as “virtually a campaign of ethnic cleansing”.

As the conversation shifts to Tamil Nadu, Dhanya predicts that actor Vijay’s political debut with his party, TVK, could capture “15 percent to 20 percent” of the vote. She attributes this significant projected share to his massive film persona and growing public fatigue with the DMK-AIADMK alternates.

Turning to Kerala, Dhanya delivers a sharp analysis of the LDF’s attempt to retain power for a third term. While anti-incumbency exists, she describes an “inch-by-inch” battle with the UDF, noting that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s image as a “hard taskmaster” remains a strong draw for voters seeking continuity. 

She also highlights the BJP’s strategy to woo Christian voters – particularly the Syrian Christian community, which constitutes a significant share of the state’s Christian population – by elevating community members to leadership roles and fielding Christian candidates.

Finally, Dhanya flags the sheer volume of money flooding the fray, spotlighting ‘Lottery King’ Santiago Martin’s family. His son, Jose Charles Martin, is contesting in Puducherry under his own banner, the LJK, while son-in-law Aadhav Arjuna has emerged as a key figure in Vijay's TVK. This highlights a sprawling web of influence that spans DMK funding, AIADMK ties, and new political entrants.

All this and more.