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ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Eight journalists, four states and 1 UT—how ThePrint covered 2026 Assembly elections

As I read through the reports by these journalists, it became clear that ThePrint’s coverage was more about depth than breadth.

The distance between Jorhat in Assam and Nemon in Kerala is approximately 3,700 km.

This is the journey ThePrint’s reporters have taken readers on over the past one and a half months, since the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal on 15 March.

Eight correspondents travelling across these states showed us the elections through their reports, video stories and photographs.

DK Singh, Editor, Politics, said when he sat down with his team to plan the reporting on these elections, they were clear that the focus would be on the “larger picture”.

Deputy Editor Manasi Phadke, who is stationed in Mumbai and oversaw election coverage in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, assisted in creating the reporting plan.

“At ThePrint, we have to think about a national audience. Readers across the country won’t be interested in hyperlocal stories,” Singh said.

He added that when planning stories, he puts himself in the readers’ shoes and asks, “What would I be interested in?”

Phadke said she plays the role of an “outsider” with an understanding of the local politics. She guides the reporters.

“How to make the stories connect with our readers, that’s the aim. If the story appeals to us, then it will work with our readers too,” she said.

Sharan Poovanna, ThePrint’s Bengaluru correspondent, spent 11 days in Kerala ahead of voting on 9 April. Along with Aneesa PA, Senior Correspondent, he travelled across the length and breadth of the state.

“When we started, we had specific big-picture story ideas—no micro-reporting,” said Poovanna, “We went beyond just telling readers about the election—we looked at trends, how Kerala has become a modern state. It is a striking story.”

Poovanna’s long report from Kochi and Thrissur shows how Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has ‘embraced’ private enterprise and transformed the state.

Kerala rose from “28th position in the Ease of Doing Business rankings around 2019… to be among the top states under the ‘fast mover’ category last year, reflecting the result of these reforms,” Poovanna wrote. 

Read it alongside Aneesa’s profile of the Kerala CM, and you’ll understand why Vijayan is a serious contender for a third consecutive term.

Also read: Chaos, multiple angles, and a terror module—ThePrint took a deep dive into Red Fort blast case

All ThePrint’s correspondents follow this pattern of show and tell. Their reports are packed with data, reflect the conditions on the ground, and bring views from stakeholders and commentators—especially from the public.

They provide context, historical evidence, and comparisons with five years ago, when the last Assembly elections were held. They spell out what has changed on the ground and in politics.

Deputy Editor Moushumi Das Gupta spent more than three weeks in........

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