Suvendu Adhikari Elected BJP Leader in Bengal; TVK-Governor Dispute in Tamil Nadu

In significant political developments across India, Suvendu Adhikari was unanimously elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party in West Bengal on May 8, 2026. Following the BJP's decisive victory with 207 seats, Adhikari met Governor R.N. Ravi to stake his claim, positioning himself to become the state's first BJP Chief Minister. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court argues that the Governor is duty-bound to invite Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay to form the government as the leader of the single largest party. Tensions escalated as AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran accused TVK of submitting a forged letter claiming support from his party’s lone MLA-elect. In other news, census officials in Haryana introduced QR-coded identity cards to verify enumerators' authenticity amid resident resistance. Additionally, the Delhi High Court deferred hearing the CBI’s plea challenging the discharge of AAP leaders in the excise policy case until May 11, citing lack of legal representation for the accused.