BJP Wins West Bengal and Assam in Major Electoral Shift

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a landmark victory in the 2026 Indian state elections, most notably securing its first-ever government in West Bengal by winning 207 of 294 seats. This landslide ended 15 years of rule by Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP also retained power in Assam for a third consecutive term, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing 102 of 126 seats, and maintained control of Puducherry. In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Vijay's debut party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as the single largest force with 108 seats, ousting Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

The only major setback for the BJP was in Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won a decisive majority with 102 seats, removing the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from power for the first time in nearly 60 years. The BJP did, however, achieve a breakthrough in Kerala by winning a record three seats.

A constitutional standoff emerged in West Bengal as Mamata Banerjee refused to resign despite losing her seat to Suvendu Adhikari. She alleged the election was a "conspiracy" involving the manipulation of electronic voting machines and the illegal deletion of nine million voters. The BJP dismissed these claims, with the Governor of West Bengal eventually dissolving the assembly on May 7. Post-poll violence also flared in West Bengal, with reports of vandalized party offices and the assassination of Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant. In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma resigned to facilitate the new government's formation, with a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 12.