A new and unusual campaign pattern has surfaced in the ongoing Assembly election season, with state chief ministers openly taking aim at leaders in other states. Observers say this departs from the earlier norm where state campaigns largely focused on local rivals and, at most, the Prime Minister or the Union government.
The report notes that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set the tone by alleging a “secret understanding” among the DMK, BJP and Congress in Tamil Nadu, while also making remarks seen as an indirect criticism of Chief Minister M K Stalin. The comments drew attention as such cross-state attacks are not commonly seen in state elections.
The trend intensified in Tamil Nadu during the nomination filing of BJP candidate Ram Srinivasan in Madurai, where Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present, said a Metro rail project would be brought to Madurai if BJP MLAs were elected. Stalin responded with a sharp statement, accusing Fadnavis of “blackmail” over the Metro project.
Similar controversy was reported in Kerala, where Assembly elections are also underway. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, campaigning for the Congress, questioned what development the Communist government had delivered and cited Kannur—Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s home district—claiming local party workers told him the district had not seen tourism or investment opportunities.
With leaders increasingly targeting counterparts beyond their own states, the election discourse is being described as a “new trend” that has sparked debate over political decorum and the tone of campaigning.
