As counting of votes took place on Monday in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the Assembly elections of 2026 presented remarkable shifts across the political battleground. What began as a routine results day quickly transformed into a nationwide churn, challenging established power centres and signalling a reconfiguration of political loyalties. From Tamil Nadu's unexpected upheaval to a sweeping saffron rise in West Bengal, the mandate has disrupted long-held assumptions and elevated new players into decisive positions. The results show the electoral scenario is shifting rapidly and signalling a moment of transition where old bastions are collapsing, and new power centres are rising.
BJP poised for its first government in Bengal
The most unexpected development emerged from West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surged ahead in more than 200 seats. With the halfway mark crossed, the party handed Mamata Banerjee's fifteen-year command over the state. Although the Trinamool Congress has shown resistance in minority-dominated areas, dissatisfaction around rural issues and the controversy over the SIR voter roll initiative appear to have weakened the ruling party’s traditional support. The anticipated formation of Bengal's first-ever BJP government is set to become the defining story of this election cycle. At the time of writing this article, the BJP was leading on 208 of 294 seats, while the TMC was ahead on 79 seats, as per the Election Commission.
Assam reinforces its trust in NDA
In Assam, the BJP-led NDA strengthened its hold as Himanta Biswa Sarma secured a second consecutive term as Chief Minister. With the alliance ahead in 102 out of 126 seats, the verdict reflects strong backing for the campaign that emphasised development, security and social stability. This election also outlined a significant religious polarisation. The BJP dominated the indigenous and urban belts, while the Muslim vote was split between Congress and AIUDF. The BJP's vote share, which stood at 33.6 per cent in 2016, climbed to 38.59 per cent in 2026. Analysts attribute the nearly five per cent jump to a heavy consolidation of Hindu voters behind the party.
Tamil Nadu witnesses a political cinematic twist
Tamil Nadu experienced what many describe as a political "revolution in slow motion." Actor-turned-leader Thalapathy Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) have raced ahead in 108 seats, breaking the state's decades-long political duopoly of the DMK and AIADMK. At
Adding to the surprise, Chief Minister MK Stalin lost the Kolathur seat to TVK's VS Babu, who secured 82,997 votes and defeated the incumbent by 8,795 votes after 22 rounds of counting, marking one of the biggest personal setbacks of the election.
Kerala opens doors for BJP while UDF wins
The political tide in Kerala has tilted towards the United Democratic Front (UDF), which has taken a substantial early lead over the ruling Left government. Several senior ministers of the Left Democratic Front are trailing, indicating that voter fatigue may have caught up with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's push for a third term.
Amid these shifts, Kerala created electoral history. The Bharatiya Janata Party won its first-ever Assembly seat. BB Gopakumar captured the Chathamangalam seat in Kollam district, while BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan won in Nemom and Kazhakoottam respectively. The party had failed to open its account in 2021.
NDA headed for comfortable win in Puducherry
The Union Territory of Puducherry saw a fierce contest early in the day before the NDA broke away decisively. As per the Election Commission, the alliance led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy and the All India NR Congress has crossed the majority mark with 18 seats in the 30-member Assembly. The AINRC remains the driving force with 12 seats, and with the halfway mark fixed at 16, the NDA is comfortably positioned to return to power as the Assembly term ends on June 15.
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