Bengal to Tamil Nadu: Historic wins mark defining electoral moments across 4 states, one UT

In a political churn where long-held bastions crumbled and new forces surged, the 2026 assembly election results have unfolded like a watershed moment across India’s electoral landscape.

From unexpected breakthroughs to decisive mandates, outcomes across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry have marked a series of historic firsts, making this one of the most defining election cycles in recent years.

West Bengal sees historic breakthrough

The
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) crossed the halfway mark in West Bengal, unseating the Mamata Banerjee-led
Trinamool Congress (TMC) government that had been in power for 15 years. The result marks the party’s first victory in the state, signalling a significant political shift.

The BJP achieved this by increasing its vote share by nearly seven percentage points from 2021, reaching 44.8%, around three points higher than the TMC’s 41.9% (in alliance with the BGPM from the Darjeeling region). The Left Front-led alliance secured 3 seats with a 6.4% vote share, marking its first non-zero tally in the state since 2016, if current leads hold. The Congress has not won any seats so far.

Tamil Nadu delivers a debut victory

The Tamil Nadu election produced a striking outcome, with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single largest party. The party secured 111 seats in the 234-member Assembly, with trends showing it leading in nearly 110 seats, just short of the majority mark of 118.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin lost from the Kolathur constituency, marking a significant setback in the state’s political landscape. The result comes alongside the rise of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has emerged strongly in the election, reshaping the contest and altering the balance of power in Tamil Nadu.

Assam records BJP’s third straight win

In Assam, the BJP secured a hat-trick, crossing the majority mark of 64 seats. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was leading in close to 100 of the 126 seats, significantly ahead of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which was at 25.

Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi suffered the first electoral defeat of his career, losing the Jorhat Assembly seat to senior BJP leader Hitendranath Goswami by a margin of 23,182 votes.

Kerala sees shift in electoral pattern

Kerala witnessed a change in its electoral pattern, with the Congress-led UDF crossing the majority mark of 71 and nearing the 100-seat mark. This halted the LDF’s attempt at a third consecutive term, with the LDF leading in over 40 seats and the BJP ahead in two.

Early trends showed the Congress leading in 44 seats with 20 wins, CPI(M) ahead in 16 with 10 wins, CPI leading in five with three wins, and the Indian Union Muslim League ahead in 19 seats with three wins. The BJP was leading in two seats.

In individual contests, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar was leading in Nemom, while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was ahead in Dharmadam after initially trailing. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan was leading in Paravur.

The BJP also registered a win in the Chathanoor Assembly seat, marking its return in Kerala after five years.

Puducherry backs NDA

In Puducherry, the All India NR Congress (AINRC) won nine seats, while the BJP secured two. An Independent candidate won one seat and was leading in two others, while the DMK and AIADMK won one seat each.

Chief Minister N Rangasamy retained his seat in Thattanchavady. The outcome confirmed the NDA’s position in the Union territory and marked the first time since the 1970s that voters have returned an incumbent government to power.