The 2026 state assembly elections, from West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, threw up a campaign season unlike any in recent memory, each state bringing something entirely its own to the table. In Bengal, the discourse took a decisively ‘fishy’ turn, with fish deployed as political bait and food habits becoming a potent marker in the contest over Bengali identity. BJP candidates were seen campaigning while cradling large katla fish, trying to convince voters the party had no intention of interfering with their dinner plates - a spectacle that drew as much ridicule as it did attention. Up in Assam, the campaign was haunted by grief: the mysterious death of Zubeen Garg, described across communities as the “cultural heartbeat of Assam”, cast a long shadow, with parties sparring over who would deliver justice for the beloved singer. And in Kerala, it was the weight of one man’s brand. In Tamil Nadu, after decades of a 2-party fight, an actor making his debut on the political stage is turning out to be quite the X-factor.