2026 Government formation LIVE: EC ends Model Code of Conduct in four States, keeps it in force in West Bengal's Falta

India’s **Election Commission (EC)** officially terminated the **Model Code of Conduct (MCC)** in four states and one union territory following the declaration of assembly election and bye-poll results, effective March 15. However, the MCC remains in force in **West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency**, where polling is still pending. On **May 7, 2026**, five **BJP supporters** were injured in a bomb blast in **Panihati**, **North 24 Parganas district**, hours after **Chandranath Rath**, a close aide to **BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari**, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants. Police attributed the attack to unidentified assailants hurling crude bombs near **St. Xavier’s Institution**, escalating tensions in the region. Authorities seized a vehicle linked to the investigation into Rath’s murder, while **BJP accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC)** of retaliatory violence. Meanwhile, **Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay** met **Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar** in Chennai amid political uncertainty over government formation, as **DMK reportedly rejected overtures from AIADMK**. In **Kerala**, the **Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC)** held its first **Legislative Party meeting** for newly-elected MLAs on **May 7, 2026**, marking the next step in forming a government coalition. The EC’s decision to lift the MCC in most regions signals the end of election-related restrictions, though lingering violence and political negotiations continue in key states.