April 24, 2026
Good morning from New Delhi. Key developments across India:
Tamil Nadu posts historic turnout
Tamil Nadu recorded an unprecedented voter turnout of more than 84% after polling concluded across all 234 Assembly constituencies. Voting was largely peaceful. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) said part of the rise reflected changes from a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This is the highest turnout in a Tamil Nadu state Assembly election since 1952.
West Bengal records exceptionally high participation in phase 1
Phase 1 of West Bengal’s assembly elections saw a turnout of 92.25% following a monthslong SIR that removed more than nine million names from the rolls. Of the state’s 294 constituencies, 152 voted in this phase. Murshidabad district, which had the largest number of deletions, recorded turnout around 93.55%. Phase 2 is scheduled for April 29.
Raghav Chadha quits AAP, joins BJP with colleagues
Senior Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha resigned from AAP and said he and seven other MPs would merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chadha, a founding AAP member, accused his former party of abandoning its founding principles and acting against the national interest. His departure followed internal disputes, including his removal as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. Others leaving AAP include Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak and Swati Maliwal.
Rupee weakens to over-a-decade low
The Indian rupee has weakened to its weakest level in more than ten years. The Reserve Bank of India’s real effective exchange rate fell to 92.72, well below its long-run average of 98.25. The currency has dropped roughly 3% since late February, a slide analysts link to the war involving Iran, which has pushed oil prices up by more than 50% and disrupted gas supplies.
India warns citizens against travel to Iran
India’s Embassy in Tehran issued an advisory urging nationals not to travel to Iran by air or land because of ongoing operational uncertainties, airspace restrictions and regional tensions tied to the Iran conflict. Some flights have resumed but the embassy warned against travel amid the volatile situation.
Bnei Menashe group members arrive in Israel
More than 250 people from India who claim descent from the Bnei Menashe community landed at Tel Aviv airport as part of an Indian government operation to relocate members of the group. They were welcomed by supporters singing traditional Jewish songs. This is the first batch since November’s decision to facilitate the immigration of some 6,000 people from Manipur and Mizoram. Advocacy group Shavei Israel says thousands from the community have moved to Israel since the 1990s.
US moves to contain diplomatic fallout after repost
After former US President Donald Trump reshared a post that described countries including India and China as a “hellhole,” the US sought to smooth tensions. The US Embassy called India “a great country” and stressed the long-standing, respectful US-India relationship. India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the comments as uninformed and inappropriate.
Stay tuned for further updates.