In several states, the ballot will be the clearest arbiter. Kerala and Tamil Nadu head into crucial Assembly elections that will set the direction of politics for the next decade across the south.
Published Jan 01, 2026 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 01, 2026 | 9:00 AM
Vote (Representational/ iStock)
Perhaps one of the biggest tests yet for two dominant ruling parties in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, a crowded docket of legal cases with far-reaching consequences, a historic milestone for a Congress Chief Minister in Karnataka, and crucial tests of administration elsewhere…
2026 is set to carry forward the intrigue and contentious political climate across the southern states, and will most certainly be a defining year for politics in general.
In several states, the ballot will be the clearest arbiter. Kerala and Tamil Nadu head into crucial Assembly elections that will set the direction of politics for the next decade across the south.
In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, local body elections and Rajya Sabha polls will be crucial litmus tests for the relatively new ruling dispensations.
Karnataka, meanwhile, will witness a record-setting Budget by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the long-delayed civic elections in Bengaluru.
Amid all the political intrigue are court battles, Centre–State frictions, high-stakes investigations, and ambitious infrastructure projects.
South First breaks down the events, decisions, and fault lines that are likely to define the year.
In Telangana, the local body and municipal elections due in 2026 will occupy the centre of political activity. In the Assembly, parties may propose amendments to reservation formulae, ward delimitation, and municipal revenue mechanisms.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections will be a key focus, with political parties preparing for an intense contest in the state’s largest urban body.
The Assembly is also expected to witness repeated disruptions over pending disqualification cases and the Speaker’s rulings.
These debates may lead to walkouts and disputes over privilege motions. In the Legislative Council, the numerical strength of the opposition will influence the passage of government bills, with opposition parties seeking to stall or challenge critical proposals.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, following its defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections, is in the process of organisational restructuring. The party has taken a sharper stance on issues such as alleged corruption in irrigation projects, unemployment, and delays in the implementation of flagship Congress schemes.
A rejuvenation campaign led by BRS working president KT Rama Rao is under way, while party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao continues to articulate the party’s ideological position.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has expanded its footprint in Telangana in recent years, is working towards deeper penetration in rural districts ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. Leadership restructuring within the party and a renewed focus on Other Backward Class clusters are part of this effort.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen will continue to play a significant role in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation region, particularly with civic body elections approaching.
The Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for 2026 will assume importance amid shifting party strengths in the Assembly. With Congress in power and managing internal factional pressures, candidate selection is taking place in that context.
Internal dynamics within the Congress, especially between Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s loyalists and senior legacy leaders, are visible. Legislative arithmetic will be central to these elections, with Congress seeking to secure the maximum possible seats, the BJP aiming for incremental gains, and the BRS retaining relevance depending on its Assembly strength after decisions on disqualification petitions.
The unresolved disqualification petitions pending before the Speaker, relating to MLAs who defected to the ruling Congress shortly after the 2023 elections, remain a dominant issue. If the Speaker takes them up for adjudication, the decisions could change the numerical strength of the Assembly and affect legislative functioning.
On the administrative front, the implementation of the Telangana Rising: Vision Document 2047 will guide government action in 2026.
The document outlines the state’s plans to position itself as a hub for high-tech manufacturing, digital infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and expanded social welfare programmes.
Urban governance will receive attention, with Hyderabad’s infrastructure requirements, the planning phase of the Musi Riverfront project, and proposed elevated corridors involving coordination across departments. Preparations related to global events in Hyderabad include measures to strengthen policing, emergency response systems, and smart surveillance.
At the same time, friction between the bureaucracy and political leadership is evident in departments facing ongoing investigations related to the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project, power purchases, and Formula E spending. Administrative functioning in 2026 will proceed alongside these probe-related developments.
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project continues, with the agency moving from preliminary evidence collection to financial forensics.
Senior engineers, contractors, and possibly political leaders may be summoned. The Anti-Corruption Bureau may prosecute KT Rama Rao in connection with the Formula E race case, after Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma recently granted permission to the investigating agency to proceed.
Andhra Pradesh enters 2026 in a politically charged environment shaped by the 2024 mandate that returned the NDA coalition, led by the Telugu Desam Party, to power.
The opposition YSR Congress Party, which suffered a major setback in the Assembly elections, will spend the year attempting to rebuild its organisational structure, particularly in the Rayalaseema and North Coastal regions.
The political and administrative climate through 2026 will be strongly influenced by a series of sensitive investigations carrying political overtones. Liquor scam investigations, involving allegations of irregularities in retail allotments and procurement during the YSRCP government, are expected to intensify.
The Enforcement Directorate may expand financial tracing to contractors and distributors, while the Criminal Investigation Department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau handle state-level investigations.
Several matters before the Andhra Pradesh High Court are also expected to reach critical stages in 2026. These include appeals related to Amaravati land pooling, allegations of insider trading, and disputes over the redistribution of welfare liabilities.
Public interest litigations concerning Polavaram rehabilitation, sand mining, and coastal zone violations may also see significant movement during the year.
Against this backdrop, local body elections will form the centrepiece of the political calendar. Elections to Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies, Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies, municipalities, and municipal corporations are scheduled in 2026.
The TDP will seek a clean sweep in these polls as part of its governance agenda, while the YSRCP views the local elections as a critical opportunity to arrest further political erosion. The Bharatiya Janata Party will aim to expand its independent base in select constituencies.
The Rajya Sabha elections will follow closely in importance. With its Assembly majority, the TDP is positioned to secure all the seats that will fall vacant.
However, candidate selection will be shaped by internal party dynamics, including the balance between the TDP old guard and the camp led by Nara Lokesh, as well as coordination within the alliance involving the BJP and the Jana Sena Party.
Policy debates in 2026 are expected to centre on the construction of Amaravati as the state capital, Andhra Pradesh’s demand for financial support from the Centre, and law-and-order issues.
The NDA government’s engagement with the Jana Sena will remain significant, particularly as JSP Leader Pawan Kalyan seeks a greater administrative role.
Administratively, 2026 will revolve around the accelerated construction of Amaravati. Large-scale tenders related to housing, road networks, riverfront development, and government complexes will define bureaucratic priorities.
Fiscal management will remain a central concern, with the government addressing the servicing of legacy debt, financing the capital region, and supporting new industrial corridors in sectors such as textiles, electronics, and green energy. Bureaucratic reshuffles may continue in line with these infrastructure-led priorities.
Legislatively, the government may introduce a new set of Capital Region Development Authority laws aimed at land pooling, construction regulation, and investment approvals. Amendments to urban planning laws, building codes, and township regulations may also be brought before the Assembly.
Education reforms, particularly those related to digital classrooms, skill development universities, and vocational training, may form another area of legislative focus.
With debates on liquor policy intensifying, the Assembly may revisit excise regulations, including licensing, enforcement mechanisms, and retail zoning. Proposed reforms in cooperative banking, aquaculture regulation, and tourism development are also expected to add to the legislative agenda.
While the Legislative Council’s role will remain limited, it may witness heated debates on Amaravati and welfare prioritisation, contributing to a dense and politically charged legislative year.
If there is one year poised to define Kerala’s immediate future, it is 2026. It will be a year when elections, infrastructure deadlines, budget announcements, and major cultural events unfold in parallel.
By the end of the year, the state could see a new government in place, visible changes in its physical infrastructure, and renewed national and international attention.
The single most consequential event of 2026 will be the Kerala Legislative Assembly election, expected in April–May, ahead of the expiry of the current Assembly’s term in May.
For Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the ruling Left Democratic Front, the election represents a bid for a third consecutive term, something no government in Kerala has achieved so far. For the Congress-led United Democratic Front, it is an opportunity to return to power after a decade in opposition.
Recent local body election results have sharpened the political stakes. The Left Democratic Front’s poor performance, widely described as a “semi-final” verdict, has strengthened the United Democratic Front, which secured a statewide lead.
The results also pointed to shifts in urban centres, particularly Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has emerged as a significant presence.
While the Left Democratic Front–United Democratic Front contest remains central, 2026 is unfolding against a backdrop where a three-cornered contest, especially in urban and semi-urban constituencies, has become part of the political landscape.
Adding to the election-year context will be the Budget for 2026–27, likely the final budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government.
In Kerala, budgets are closely scrutinised political documents, and this one will be read for indications of welfare measures, flagship scheme expansions, or symbolic announcements ahead of the polls.
Alongside politics, 2026 is also a milestone year for several large infrastructure projects.
The widening of National Highway 66, the north–south coastal corridor running from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, is expected to be substantially complete or nearing completion in key stretches by 2026. The project is central to changes in travel, logistics, and economic activity along the coast.
The Vizhinjam International Seaport near Thiruvananthapuram will also be in focus.
The port completed its first year of commercial operations after receiving its completion certificate on 3 December 2024, and has exceeded initial government projections. By mid-December 2025, it had handled around 1.4 million containers, surpassing its first-year target of 10 lakh, with 636 ships calling at the terminal.
The next phase of expansion, involving the second, third, and fourth phases of construction, is scheduled to begin in the second week of January 2026, with overall completion targeted for 2028.
By 2026, the port’s physical footprint will be changing significantly. The existing 800-metre berth is to be extended by another 1,200 metres, creating a continuous 2,000-metre quay, while the breakwater will be extended by 920 metres to a total length of over 3.9 km.
Land acquisition for yard facilities covering 50 hectares is being fast-tracked, along with work on a 10.7-km railway line. The approach road is set for inauguration, enabling full-scale road-based cargo movement, and the port’s Integrated Check Post status is expected to support cruise tourism.
The port has already contributed about ₹97 crore in tax revenue and supports around 1,000 direct jobs, with projections linked to expansion pointing towards a long-term target of 6,000 direct jobs, alongside indirect employment.
Connectivity projects inland will also be watched closely. The 1,267-km Hill Highway project, cutting across Kerala’s eastern highlands, is officially targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
Urban transport projects will feature in election-year discussions as well. In Kochi, work on the Phase 2 Metro extension to Kakkanad is expected to be nearing completion, while planning and feasibility discussions around a proposed Thiruvananthapuram Metro are likely to gather momentum.
In Kozhikode, construction of the ₹1,118-crore Canal City project, centred on the revival of the historic Conolly Canal, is scheduled to begin in 2026. The project is designed around heritage conservation, tourism, water transport, and urban renewal.
Beyond elections and infrastructure, Kerala will also host a major global cultural event. From 22 to 25 January 2026, Kozhikode will host the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival.
Billed as Asia’s largest and the world’s most attended literary festival, KLF 2026 is expected to feature over 400 speakers, 250 sessions across seven parallel tracks, and an estimated footfall of more than six lakh people.
Delegations from 17 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, and Australia, are set to participate.
Karnataka’s political and administrative calendar in 2026 will open with a landmark moment in the Assembly.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that he will present his 17th Budget in March 2026, the highest number of Budgets presented by any Chief Minister in the state’s history. The Budget will be tabled at a time when the leadership dynamic between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar continues to draw attention.
Separately, if Siddaramaiah remains in office until 6 January 2026, he will equal the tenure record of Devaraj Urs, who served as Chief Minister for seven years and 238 days.
Urban governance in Bengaluru will also be a major political event. Elections to the newly constituted Greater Bengaluru Authority are expected in 2026.
The last election to the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council was held in August 2015, and its term ended in September 2020. Civic polls in the capital have since been postponed multiple times, making the Greater Bengaluru Authority elections a long-pending exercise.
Judicial proceedings involving key policy decisions will continue into the year. The Karnataka government’s menstrual leave policy is under challenge before the High Court.
Two private entities—the Bangalore Hotels Association, which represents 1,540 establishments, and the management of Avirata AFL Connectivity Systems Limited—have questioned the state’s authority to enforce the policy through a government order. The case has been adjourned to 20 January 2026.
Metro rail developments will be among the most closely watched infrastructure milestones. The long-delayed Pink Line of Namma Metro, connecting Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, is scheduled to open in two phases.
The 7.5-km elevated stretch from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere is slated for May 2026, while the 13.76-km underground section from Dairy Circle to Nagawara is planned for December 2026. The line was originally expected to begin operations in 2020.
Separately, Bengaluru Metro passengers will face automatic annual fare hikes of up to 5 percent starting February 2026, in line with the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee. The committee submitted its report in December 2024, which was made public on 11 September 2025, following intervention by the Karnataka High Court.
The High Court will also continue to hear a public interest litigation challenging the distribution of funds under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Programme.
The petition, filed by BJP MLA Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti, alleges unequal allocation of funds between constituencies represented by ruling party MLAs and those represented by opposition MLAs under the scheme introduced in the 2025–26 Budget.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha has issued notice to the government and adjourned the matter to 31 January 2026.
On the economic and employment front, two new initiatives under the Local Economy Accelerator Programme, a five-year ₹1,000-crore scheme aimed at building innovation clusters outside Bengaluru, will be rolled out in 2026.
Elevate Next, launching on 1 January 2026, will provide targeted grants of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore to 40 deep-tech start-ups. Elevate Beyond Bengaluru, scheduled to begin on 1 February 2026, will support entrepreneurship in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, with 50 start-ups receiving grants of up to ₹50 lakh each.
In January 2026, the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood will organise an international job fair in Bengaluru for the first time.
The event is intended to facilitate overseas placements for skilled workers, including nurses, paramedical staff, plumbers, carpenters, and mechanics, amid demand from European, Gulf, and Middle Eastern countries.
The year will also see key legal proceedings involving prominent political figures. Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first rape case registered against him at the Holenarasipura Rural Police Station in Hassan district.
He has appealed the verdict, seeking suspension of the sentence and bail. The final hearing of the appeal is scheduled for 12 January 2026.
Social and political discourse will be shaped further by the expected submission of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission’s report from the second socio-economic and educational survey.
The door-to-door survey concluded on 31 October 2025, and the online self-enumeration window closed on 10 November 2025. This is the second such survey undertaken by the Congress government, after the 2015 survey, which was not accepted and had faced opposition from Vokkaliga and Lingayat associations.
Tamil Nadu enters 2026 with the Assembly elections looming large. A key backdrop to the election year is the Supreme Court’s April 2025 verdict on the role of the Governor in giving assent to legislation.
The Court held that the Tamil Nadu Governor’s prolonged withholding of assent to Bills passed by the Assembly, particularly university-related Bills passed between 2020 and 2023, was unconstitutional.
Laying down timelines under Article 200, the Court ruled that a Governor cannot sit indefinitely on legislation. Exercising extraordinary powers, it enabled Tamil Nadu to notify 10 university amendment Bills as Acts. The verdict curtailed gubernatorial discretion, restored administrative functioning in state universities, and reshaped Centre–State relations ahead of the 2026 polls.
The opposition landscape going into the election was reconfigured in 2025 with the revival of the AIADMK–BJP alliance.
The alliance was formally announced after Union Home Minister Amit Shah met AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai, following the parties’ split in 2023. The BJP publicly projected Palaniswami as the alliance’s Chief Ministerial face for 2026. Within months, O Panneerselvam and TTV Dhinakaran exited the alliance, opposing the projection of a single Chief Minister candidate.
Their exit consolidated Palaniswami’s control over the AIADMK and reshaped opposition politics ahead of the election.
Communal and governance tensions have also fed into the pre-election climate. The Thiruparankundram Deepathoon controversy in 2025 arose over a demand to light the Karthigai Deepam at a stone pillar near the Sikandar Badusha dargah, in addition to the lamp traditionally lit at the Subramaniya Swamy temple. Hindu organisations claimed the pillar was an ancient Deepathoon, while Muslim groups objected.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, in an order by Justice GR Swaminathan, initially observed that long-standing religious practices could not be curtailed without legal basis. The Tamil Nadu government, however, denied permission citing law and order concerns and disputing the pillar’s religious identity, even suggesting it could be a Jain structure.
Section 144 was imposed, access was blocked, and the Deepam was not permitted. The court later initiated contempt proceedings against officials, turning the issue into a major legal and political flashpoint.
Caste violence and custodial death cases have further sharpened political debate. In July 2025, Kavin Selva Ganesh, a 27-year-old Dalit software engineer from Thoothukudi district, was hacked to death in Tirunelveli over an inter-caste relationship.
The accused, S Surjith, surrendered, and his parents, both police Sub-Inspectors, were named as co-accused, with one later arrested. The case was registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with the CB-CID taking over the investigation.
The killing led to protests, petitions to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and political demands for a special law against honour killings.
In a separate incident in June 2025, B Ajith Kumar, a 28-year-old temple security guard in Sivaganga district, died in police custody after being detained in connection with an alleged theft.
An autopsy documented 44 external injuries, including cigarette burns. Following public outrage, the case was transferred to the CBI, multiple police personnel were arrested, and a supplementary chargesheet named additional officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The Madras High Court ordered compensation to the family and monitored the investigation, making the case a major issue around custodial violence and police accountability.
Education policy has emerged as another central election issue. In 2025, the Tamil Nadu government declined participation in the Union government’s PM-SHRI scheme, stating that it required implementation of aspects of the National Education Policy, 2020.
The state objected to provisions relating to the three-language formula, centralised curricular frameworks, and increased Union oversight.
Tamil Nadu released its own State Education Policy, drafted by a committee headed by Justice (Retd.) D Murugesan, reaffirming the two-language policy and emphasising social justice and state autonomy. The episode intensified Centre–State tensions ahead of the polls.
Public safety and accountability came under scrutiny following the Karur stampede on 27 September 2025, during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam public meeting attended by actor-politician Vijay. The incident resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
After initial probes ordered by the High Court and the state government, the Supreme Court intervened, set aside both inquiries, and ordered a CBI investigation under the supervision of a retired judge, escalating the matter into a major judicial and political flashpoint.
Alongside these controversies, the government has highlighted welfare and fiscal measures. From 1 April 2025, registration charges for properties valued under ₹10 lakh were reduced by 1 percent, primarily benefiting women buyers.
Under the Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar Thittam, eligible individuals without family support receive ₹2,000 per month through direct benefit transfer, along with access to food security, healthcare, shelter, and social security services.
Women’s safety has remained in focus following sexual assault cases reported near Anna University in Chennai and in Coimbatore. The Anna University case sparked protests after the AIADMK alleged political links involving the accused, claims denied by the government.
Together, the cases intensified demands for improved security and transparency in handling sexual violence complaints.
The ruling DMK has also foregrounded economic performance. In the 2025–26 Budget, the government stated that Tamil Nadu recorded 10.9 percent real GSDP growth in 2024–25, with a projected nominal GSDP of ₹27.22 lakh crore and per capita income of ₹3.17 lakh.
The Budget attributed growth to industrial expansion, capital expenditure, and infrastructure projects including Chennai Metro Phase II.
