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Voting began Thursday in two of India's politically key opposition-held states, with tens of millions casting ballots in West Bengal and the southern Tamil Nadu.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in the national parliament, is hoping to make inroads in the opposition strongholds.In West Bengal, which has a population of over 100mn, polling opened in the first phase to elect members from 152 constituencies of the 294-seat legislative assembly.The second phase, covering the remaining 142 seats, will be held on April 29."Nearly 36mn people are eligible to vote," said Manoj Agarwal, the state's chief electoral officer, adding that around 8,000 polling stations had been designated "supersensitive".Modi's BJP has waged an aggressive bid to dislodge West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) which has been in power in the state since 2011.Banerjee's party won 213 of the 294 seats in the previous election held in 2021.Paramilitary forces were deployed, with security heightened along the Bangladesh border.The campaign was marked by protests over the removal of millions of names from voter rolls during a Special Intensive Revision — meant to remove ineligible voters but which critics say is skewed against marginalised and minority communities."We want employment in our state. We want to live with social dignity," first-time voter Pratik Maity told AFP.Women's safety and corruption also featured prominently during the campaign.In Tamil Nadu, which has a population of over 80mn, polling for the 234-member assembly was being conducted Thursday in a single phase, with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) facing off against its long-time rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).The BJP, a junior ally of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, has struggled to make significant electoral gains in the southern state.Results for both elections will be released on May 4.On the same day, results will also be announced for state elections in Assam and Kerala, as well as the smaller coastal territory of Puducherry. 

"Chat, who is the best candidate?": Six months out from Brazil's presidential election, AI chatbots are still answering such questions in defiance of new electoral rules banning them from giving voting tips.The head of Brazil's electoral court (TSE), justice Carmen Lucia, warned in January that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots could lead to the "contamination" of the October vote in Latin America's biggest nation.In March, the court imposed new regulations which restricted how chatbots are allowed to operate during the 2026 election cycle, as well as increased platform liability for false content.The TSE has taken a leading role in the fight against disinformation, declaring far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro ineligible to run for office for spreading false information about the Brazilian electoral system during 2022 polls.The 2026 election is the first major vote to be held since chatbots became widely available in the country.The AI tools have been forbidden from providing recommendations, rankings, or opinions regarding candidates and political parties — even when prompted by a user.However, in tests conducted by AFP weeks after the new rules were set, at least three leading AI chatbots continued to rank political candidates.When asked who the "best candidates for the 2026 elections" would be, ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini all weighed in."Honest conclusion. The 'technically' best options today: Tarcisio/Zema," ChatGPT responded.The bot was referring to Sao Paulo's powerful governor Tarcisio de Freitas, who has ruled out a presidential bid, and former Minas Gerais state governor Romeu Zema, a possible candidate for the right-wing Novo party.Errors and biasesPresident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, placed between second and fifth, receiving praise from the chatbots for his "vast experience," but facing criticism for his "advanced age."The veteran leftist is seeking a fourth term in office.His main rival in the polls, Flavio Bolsonaro — son of the former president — came last or did not appear on the lists.Such responses have raised concerns that technology could influence voting in the highly-polarised and hyper-connected country, based on incorrect or biased information.This is because chatbot replies are generated by probabilities based on training data, which may contain errors or biases, said Theo Araujo, director of the Amsterdam School of Communication Research.A study he carried out during 2025 elections in the Netherlands showed that one in ten people were likely to use AI chatbots to seek out information about candidates.Voters assume AI neutralityIn March, AFP's fact-checking team verified as fake an image that allegedly showed Flavio Bolsonaro with Daniel Vorcaro — a businessman under investigation for a major banking fraud scandal that has rattled the country's elite.However, Grok — X's AI chatbot — said the picture was real and even provided a date for the alleged meeting.Araujo said that voters were likely to assume that chatbots were "neutral or objective sources, and consequently process their responses less critically."Some candidates have reinforced this idea.In a post on X earlier this month, Flavio Bolsonaro urged his followers to "ask Chat what the truth is."Many have done so.A quick search on the social network revealed various users asking Grok for voting recommendations."Based on the six criteria outlined in my post, which pre-candidate should I vote for?" asked one internet user, while another asked whether they could trust the results of an opinion survey.No clear punishment Despite the concerns, it is unclear how the TSE's new rule will be enforced, as it does not provide for specific sanctions.The court could order a daily fine, Diogo Rais, a lawyer specialising in electoral law, told AFP.However, the amounts fined are not set in advance and could be challenged in court.When contacted, OpenAI stated that ChatGPT is "trained not to favour candidates" and that it continues to refine its models.Google said that Gemini generates responses based on user prompts, which do not necessarily reflect the company's views.Attempts to contact X were unsuccessful. 

Chairman of Syria's Higher Committee for Elections Dr. Mohammed Taha Al Ahmad affirmed that the voting process for the People's Assembly elections is proceeding smoothly and in full accordance with the governing laws and regulations. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Al Ahmad said that fifty polling stations have been set up across various Syrian governorates, all of which have witnessed a high voter turnout since the early morning hours. He noted that the electoral college members, numbering about 6,000 voters, represent administrative units, professional unions, and popular organizations from across the country. Dr. Al Ahmad emphasized that voting is being conducted in private booths to ensure voter confidentiality, adding that media outlets have been allowed access to cover the process. He noted that an appeals' committee has been formed to oversee and safeguard the integrity of the vote and to address any objections raised during the electoral process. He added that ballot counting will begin immediately after all members of the electoral bodies have cast their votes, provided that voter turnout reaches at least 80%. The final results will be announced once the judicial committees in the electoral districts complete their review. Earlier in the day, voting began across several Syrian governorates to elect members of the People's Assembly. Members of the electoral bodies cast their ballots to choose their representatives in the new assembly, under the supervision of the Higher Judicial Committee for Elections and in the presence of the candidates' representatives.