The Hindu Editorial (Battle of Bengal) – Mar 24, 2026

To read this article, click  “The Hindu”.

This preview is provided here with permission.

Courtesy: The Hindu

The Hindu Editorial (​​​​Battle of Bengal) – Mar 24, 2026:

1. Assembly (noun) – a group of elected representatives with the constitutional mandate to legislate and govern; legislature, parliament, council, house.
2. fight off (phrasal verb) – combat, repel, resist, push back, ward off.
3. anti-incumbency (noun) – a widespread political sentiment in favour of voting out the ruling government or sitting politicians; anti-establishment feeling, public dissatisfaction, electoral discontent.
4. sentiment (noun) – public mood, collective attitude, feeling.
5. held past tense of hold (verb) – to formally organize, conduct, or convene an official event such as an election.
6. shape up (phrasal verb) – to develop, unfold, progress, emerge, materialize.
7. race (noun) – contest, competition, electoral battle, rivalry.
8. incumbent (adjective) – currently holding a specified official position or office; sitting, current, reigning, present.
9. push to the margins (phrase) – to purposefully sideline a group or political entity, actively reducing their importance, influence, or power; marginalize, sideline, isolate, disadvantage.
10. intense (adjective) – fierce, severe, rigorous.
11. combat (noun) – battle, fight, clash, confrontation.
12. ally (noun) – a political party or organization that cooperates strategically with another for a shared objective; coalition partner, associate, confederate.
13. in power (phrase) – ruling, in office, at the helm, commanding.
14. term (noun) – (electoral) tenure, stint, spell, duration, period of time; term of office.
15. replace (verb) – substitute, change, supplant, swap.
16. sitting (adjective) – (of an elected representative) currently holding a legislative position;; incumbent, current, acting, present.
17. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (noun) – an official representative elected directly by the voters of an electoral district (constituency) to the lower house of a State government in the Indian political system, mandated to draft legislation and represent public interests.
18. Legislative Assembly (noun) – the primary law-making lower house of a state legislature in India (Vidhan Sabha), mandated to legislate on state-level subjects and structurally oversee the state executive.
19. deflect (verb) – divert, avert, distract from, fend off.
20. bring in (phrasal verb) – introduce, induct, incorporate, deploy.
21. face (noun) – candidate.
22. field (noun) – an area of active political competition, contest, or the collective group of candidates participating in an election; arena, battleground, domain, sphere.
23. bag (verb) – to succeed in securing or winning an electoral seat; secure, win, capture, clinch.
24. face off (against) (phrasal verb) – to directly compete, contest, or stand against a specific formidable opponent; compete with, oppose, clash with, contend against.
25. yet another (phrase) – one more instance in addition to a previously mentioned series of events or terms; one more (time).
26. run-up to (noun) – the critical period of time just before a significant event, such as an election; prelude, lead-up, period preceding, countdown.
27. mar (verb) – ruin, spoil, tarnish, taint, impair.
28. controversy (noun) –  dispute, contention, disagreement.
29. Special Intensive Revision (SIR) (noun) – a targeted, comprehensive statutory exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to rigorously update, rectify, and authenticate the electoral roll, ensuring a free and fair democratic process.
30. electoral roll (noun) – voter list, voting register, electoral register.
31. electorate (noun) – all the people in a country who are eligible to vote in an election; voting public, voters, enfranchised population, constituency.
32. shrink (verb) – diminish, contract, reduce, dwindle.
33. remain under (phrase) – stay subject to, be pending.
34. adjudication (noun) – the formal administrative or legal process of judging, resolving, or deciding a disputed matter; arbitration, ruling, judgment, settlement.
35. even as (phrase) – at the very same time that a particular event is unfolding; while, whilst, simultaneously.
36. campaign (noun) – an organized, strategic, and often aggressive drive by a political party to secure electoral support; electioneering, canvassing, political mobilization, drive.
37. underway (adjective) – ongoing, happening, proceeding, in progress.
38. unprecedented (adjective) – never having happened, existed, or been experienced in the past; unparalleled, unexampled.
39. uncertainty (noun) – unpredictability, ambiguity, doubt, indecision.
40. standoff (noun) – deadlock, stalemate, impasse, gridlock.
41. overshadow (verb) – dominate, eclipse, outshine, obscure.
42. hold accountable for (phrase) – make answerable, blame, hold responsible, pin on.
43. turn out (phrasal verb) – transpire, result, emerge, unfold.
44. gift (noun) – an unexpected, unearned advantage or circumstance that heavily benefits someone politically.
45. amplify (verb) – magnify, escalate, intensify, boost.
46. charge (noun) – a formal accusation or strong public criticism; allegation, indictment, complaint.
47. hostile (adjective) – antagonistic, unfriendly, opposed, inimical.
48. case (noun) – argument, reasoning, contention.
49. in one’s favour (phrase) – beneficial, advantageous, supporting, on one’s side.
50. trainee (noun) – apprentice, learner, intern, novice.
51. shake (verb) – disturb, weaken, rattle, undermine, destabilize.
52. public confidence (noun) – the prevailing institutional trust, belief, and reliance that citizens place in a government; public trust, civic faith, popular belief, reliance.
53. limitation (noun) –  constraint, restriction.
54. negotiate (verb) – navigate, manage, handle, overcome.
55. linguistic (adjective) – lingual, language-related.
56. diversity (noun) – the rich condition of having varied demographic, cultural, or linguistic characteristics within a society; multiplicity, pluralism.
57. markedly (adverb) – noticeably, significantly, distinctly, conspicuously.
58. place one’s hopes on (phrase) – rely on, count on, depend on, bank on.
59. trimmed (adjective) – reduced, curtailed, decreased, shortened.
60. manoeuvrability (noun) – the strategic ability to move flexibly, adapt policies, or exercise tactical political choices; flexibility, leeway, adaptability, room for manoeuvre.
61. a house divided (phrase) – an organization or political party struggling with intense internal conflicts and a lack of unity; fractured group, split entity, polarized faction, fragmented party.
62. consolidate (verb) – to strategically strengthen fortify, reinforce, solidify.
63. firmly (adverb) – resolutely, securely, strongly, decisively.
64. in command (phrase) – exercising complete political authority, decisive control, and unyielding leadership; in charge, at the helm, leading, dictating terms.
65. upward (adjective) – rising, ascending, climbing, upward-moving.
66. trajectory (noun) – the ongoing historical path, trend, or statistical direction of a political party’s growth and development; course, route, trend, path.
67. hit the ceiling (phrase) – to reach the absolute maximum possible limit of growth, electoral support, or geographical expansion; peak, max out, reach a plateau, top out.
68. alliance (noun) – coalition, partnership, bloc.
69. contender (noun) – challenger, aspirant, frontrunner, competitor.
70. select (adjective) – specific, chosen, preferred, hand-picked.
71. influence (verb) – sway, affect, shape, alter.
72. margin (noun) – difference, gap, winning threshold, differential.
73. in store (phrase) – upcoming, forthcoming, imminent, on the horizon.
74. survival (noun) –  continued existence, persistence, endurance.

Note:

1. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are our personal work. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context. 

2. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

To download daily word list PDFs, click HERE