Assembly election results highlights: BJP surges in West Bengal, Assam; Vijay’s TVK stars in Tamil Nadu

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to be charting a path to victory in West Bengal, leading in 203 seats against the ruling All India Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) 83, while also surging ahead in Assam with a strong lead.In Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was set for a striking debut, leading in 100 seats, coming five seats down from the early trends of 105 seats and pushing the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to second place, according to trends on the Election Commission website.In Kerala, the Indian National Congress was ahead in 63 seats, followed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with 26 and the Communist Party of India with eight.As counting progressed across West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the eastern political landscape appeared to tilt decisively.Also Visit: Bengal Election Results 2026West Bengal remained the focal point of Election 2026, with BJP dethroning Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. The campaign was marked by sharp contestation over issues such as electoral rolls, alleged rigging and polarisation.Over 2.5 lakh personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, along with state police, were deployed, even as BJP and TMC faced off outside several strong rooms ahead of counting. While BJP sought a historic breakthrough, the TMC was battling to retain power for a fourth consecutive term.Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari who had expressed confidence of victory, asserting that the BJP would form the government. The TMC leadership, however, adopted a cautious approach, preferring to wait for clearer trends.In Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the BJP to a commanding position, with the party ahead in 82 of the 126 seats, leaving the Congress trailing with 19 seats followed by BJP-ally AGP.In Tamil Nadu, Vijay emerged as a major headline of the election, with his party poised to become the single largest force. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was ahead in 53 seats, while the DMK trailed with 57, indicating a significant political shift.Kerala offered some respite to Congress, where the United Democratic Front (UDF) surged ahead, suggesting a possible return to power. Kerala Pradesh Congress committee chief Sunny Joseph said the trends reflected a pro-UDF wave and expressed confidence of crossing the 100-seat mark in the 140-member assembly.In the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, the results point to a fragmented mandate with no single party nearing the majority mark of 16 on its own. The All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) has emerged as the single largest party with 11 seats, but still falls short of forming the government independently.The DMK follows with 5 seats, while the BJP has secured 4, and the Congress is reduced to just 1 seat. Notably, ‘Others’ account for a significant 9 seats, indicating a strong presence of smaller parties and independents in shaping the final outcome.The numbers suggest that government formation will hinge on post-poll alliances, with AINRC in a favourable position to lead negotiations, though the sizeable ‘Others’ bloc could play a deciding role in determining the balance of power.