India in April 2026: the most important developments in politics
India's politics in April 2026 were dominated by state elections and shifts in the balance between the BJP and its opponents. Voting began on April 9 in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, and record turnout was reported in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu later in the month. Exit polls on April 29 predicted BJP gains, including in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and a win for the UDF over the LDF government in Kerala. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar resigned and Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the state's first BJP chief minister. On April 24 Raghav Chadha and six other Aam Aadmi Party members of the upper house joined the BJP. AAP called them "traitors", and Chadha said he left "out of disgust, not fear". The defections raised the ruling alliance's strength in the Rajya Sabha to 148 and left AAP with three seats.
The second theme was the women's reservation bill. Prime Minister Modi pushed for a 33% quota in the Lok Sabha, tied to a delimitation bill and a larger parliament. Opposition parties called the package deceptive and an attempt to redraw the electoral map. The bill failed to pass on April 17. Modi criticised the opposition and apologised to women in a national address, and said his government was determined to remove all obstacles. Congress president Kharge said Modi had killed the bill. Later Kharge called Modi "a terrorist" and then clarified his remark; the BJP complained and the Election Commission issued him a notice.
On foreign affairs, Trump phoned Modi on April 14 about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. India welcomed the US-Iran ceasefire. After Iranian forces fired on Indian-flagged tankers near the Strait, India summoned Iran's envoy on April 18 and again the next day, while Tehran said ties remained strong. India's foreign ministry called Trump's description of India and China as "hellholes" "uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste". South Korea's President Lee made a state visit. India rejected China's use of "fictitious names" for places in Arunachal Pradesh and held its first bilateral talks with China after the Ladakh thaw.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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