India news: Kerala, Assam and Puducherry head to polls

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has kicked off a two-day visit to Qatar, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to cause a rise in oil and gas prices.

Qatar is India's largest supplier of liquified petroleum gas (LPG).

Puri's visit comes a day after the US and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire, to allow the two sides to negotiate a more lasting truce. However, the status of the ceasefire is in doubt after Iran cited at least three US violations.

Qatar is also home to a sizable Indian diaspora, some of whom were brought back to India amid rising regional tensions and Iranian attacks.

India has increased subsidies for farming fertilizers by 11% compared to last year, in a bid to shield the country's agricultural sector from rising prices due to the war in the Middle East.

"The subsidy would be provided to the fertiliser companies as per approved and notified rates, so that fertilisers are made available to farmers at affordable prices," a Cabinet statement on Wednesday read.

"In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilisers and inputs like urea... the government has decided to approve the NBS (Nutrient Based Subsidy) rates," it added.

In India, about 45% of the population makes a living from the agricultural sector. That makes farmers an important voting bloc, especially as four states and a union territory are undergoing elections in April.

The Iran war is creating a one-two punch for the world's fertilizer supply, blocking both the export and one of its critical ingredients from leaving the Persian Gulf. Nearly half of the world's traded urea, the most widely used nitrogen-based fertilizer, comes from the Gulf. While India can afford to subsidize fertilizer, nearby Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka likely cannot.

In November, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes tribunal sentenced both Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death for their alleged role in ordering a deadly crackdown on the student‑led uprising of 2024, which ultimately ended Hasina’s 15‑year rule.

Delivering the verdict in absentia, Judge Golam Mortuza Mozumder said Hasina was “found guilty on three counts,” including incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities. The court declared both former leaders fugitives, paving the way for extradition requests.

Hasina has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh following the mass youth‑led protests that culminated in her removal from power. 

India has long maintained close ties with Bangladesh, and with Sheikh Hasina and her family. This is also not the first time Hasina has sought refuge in India.

Following a military coup in the 1970s that killed her father, Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and several other family members, Hasina and her sister were granted asylum by the then-Indian government.

However, Hasina’s latest stay in India has soured bilateral relations. Analysts say the situation has also contributed to Bangladesh moving closer to China, New Delhi’s regional rival.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has renewed his country’s request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a two‑day official visit to India.

Hasina is currently living in exile in India.

The request marks the first time Bangladesh’s newly-elected government has formally raised the issue with Indian authorities, signalling a sharper turn in diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring countries.

On his first visit to India, Rahman held meetings with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Indian media reported that Rahman called on New Delhi to hand over Hasina as well as her former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs released only a brief statement on the meetings and made no mention of any extradition request.

Two states and one union territory have gone to polls, kicking off the Assembly election season in India. Voting in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry begun at 7 a.m. local time (01:30 GMT) and will go on till 5 p.m. (11:30 GMT).

Two other opposition-ruled states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, will vote later this month. The results for all five regions are expected May 4.

The high stakes elections will see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fight regional parties for power. The BJP has never won an election in Kerala.

The polls come while the public is concerned about rising energy costs and tighter cooking gas supplies due to the war in the Middle East.

Modi took to social media on Thursday, urging voters — especially women and youth — to step out to fulfil their democratic duty.

Here's what you need to know:

Assam

• 25 Million voters will elect a 126-member assembly
• BJP eyeing third term in power
• Contest between Ruling BJP and India's largest national opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC)
• First state election since 2023 when BJP held a controversial exercise redrawing constituency lines, which critics allege manipulated minority votes to suit the BJP

Kerala

• 27 million voters of the southern state will elect a 140-member state assembly 
• Stage set for a three-way contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance, a BJP-led alliance and a Congress-led alliance
• Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India

Puducherry

• Coastal union territory in southern India
• About 944,000 voters will vote for 30 seats in the union territory's assembly
• Currently ruled by a BJP-backed alliance

Good morning! and welcome to DW's India blog.

This is Mahima Kapoor from the New Delhi Bureau and I will bring to you the day's biggest headlines and talking points from the country.

Parts of India, including the national capital, continue to see showers and thunderstorms due to a western disturbance rarely seen in the month of April. The atmospheric phenomenon has forced discussions of climate change all over the country.

Speaking of weather, it's election season in India as voters in two states and a union territory head to polls in high-stakes elections, which could see Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP party extend ist power, both in terms of time and constituencies.

On the global front, Indians remain glued to their television sets as the fragile temporary ceasefire between the US,Israel and Iran seems to be coming undone. The war in the Middle East has significantly impacted Indian investments, businesses and critical supplies like cooking gas.

Stick with us as we break down the day's news for you.