Live! Congress hints at supporting Vijay’s TVK
TVK founder Vijay on Tuesday thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for the "historic and transformative mandate" they gave to him in the April 23 Assembly elections
The BJP is set to form its first government in West Bengal after a landslide victory, winning 206 of 294 seats. It is also poised to retain Assam for a third straight term, securing 102 of the 126 seats.
The electoral cycle also saw a dramatic debut in Tamil Nadu, where actor-politician Vijay’s TVK won 108 of 234 seats to emerge as the single-largest party. In Kerala, the Left was wiped out in its last bastion as the Congress-led UDF registered a thumping win.
Also read | Opposition deficit, rather than BJP triumph, is the message
Three incumbent chief ministers – Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala) – are on their way out, with Banerjee also losing the poll battle against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in the Bhabanipur Assembly seat in Kolkata. Stalin also suffered defeat at the hands of his former protege, TVK’s VS Babu, in the Kolathur Assembly constituency.
Modi hails mandate, slams rivals
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) stellar showing in the West Bengal polls during a grand victory celebration at the party headquarters in New Delhi, both Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the mandate was stolen.
Modi hailed the verdict as a mandate for the politics of performance. "Our mantra is nagarik devo bhava (citizens are god). We are dedicated to serving the people. That is why the people have shown their faith in the BJP. They know the BJP is synonymous with good governance, whether it is state government or civic elections as you saw the party winning its highest ever vote share in the recent Gujarat local body polls," he said.
Mamata cries foul over ‘stolen mandate’
Meanwhile, outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee alleged that the mandate in more than 100 seats was "looted". "We will bounce back," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said while walking out of the counting centre at the Bhabanipur constituency.
Also read | Bengal's Didi shield cracks: How Mamata Banerjee lost the state she dominated
A visibly-distraught Banerjee told reporters that the BJP's victory was "immoral". "They have looted more than 100 seats," she alleged.
Banerjee found an ally in Rahul Gandhi, who too alleged that the mandate in Assam and West Bengal was "stolen".
In Assam, where the election was a hot-headed affair too, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the BJP to another straight victory, bagging 102 of the 126 seats, leaving the Congress far behind at 19. State Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi faced his first electoral defeat in Jorhat.
Vijay shatters Dravidian duopoly
If West Bengal was one headline of Elections 2026, the other was superstar Vijay, who defied the odds and the taint of a stampede at his rally in Karur in September 2025, in which 41 people were killed. That episode appeared to be in the past as his party broke the bipolar cycle of Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu.
Also read | Understanding the Vijay phenomenon in Tamil Nadu politics
Vijay’s TVK secured 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, followed by the DMK-led alliance with 73 and the AIADMK-led alliance with 52. He now appears set to join the pantheon of MGR and Jayalalithaa as celluloid stars who made it big in the political firmament. The star of hit films such as Mersal and Leo entered the campaign with a list of lofty promises, including 8 grams of gold, worth about Rs 1.12 lakh, for marriage. Vijay’s manifesto also promised a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 for women below 60 years of age and six free cooking gas cylinders per family annually.
Priyanka thanks Kerala’s voters
With the Kerala win in her party's pocket, Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra thanked the people of the southern state for their overwhelming support.
Also read | How UDF won Kerala after a decade: From 'total disarray' to total dominance
"To all my brothers and sisters in Keralam, thank you for your faith and for your overwhelming support. The trust you have placed in us will be the UDF's guiding force as we work hard towards building a better future for each one of you," she said.
In Puducherry, the NDA retained control, with the All India NR Congress leading the alliance’s tally. The Congress and its allies bagged 6 seats. The TVK made its presence felt with three seats.
Scroll below for Live updates.
Live Updates
- 5 May 2026 12:20 PM IST
Pinarayi Vijayan arrives in state capital sans usual security cover, official vehicle
A day after the LDF suffered a rout in the Assembly polls, the outgoing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday arrived at the airport here from Kannur and travelled to Cliff House, his official residence, in a private vehicle without his usual security cover.
As he came out of the airport, accompanied by his wife, daughter and Left leaders V Sivankutty, V Joy and A A Rahim, Vijayan smiled and briefly raised his hand at the media, which tried to speak to him.
He then left for the Cliff House in a non-official vehicle and was accompanied by a police pilot jeep and escort as he left the airport, according to visuals on TV channels. The usual huge cavalcade of security vehicles and commando cover were absent when he arrived at the airport and left for Cliff House.
The UDF won 102 seats, while the CPI(M)-headed LDF netted 35 seats, according to Election Commission data on counting of votes for 140 constituencies.
- 5 May 2026 12:12 PM IST
Stalin cites vote gap, thanks DMK supporters after TN poll defeat
DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday, in a veiled reference to the TVK, claimed that the party that won additional constituencies has gained only 17.43 lakh more votes than the DMK.
He was referring to the April 23 Assembly polls where the DMK and its allies secured 74 seats, with the Dravidian party netting 59 constituencies.
In a statement, Stalin said, "the percentage difference in votes between us and them is just 3.52 per cent," in an apparent reference to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kahzagam emerged victorious in the polls, the results of which were announced on Monday.
Claiming that the DMK alliance has secured 1.54 crore votes, Stalin said, "I consider each and every one of your votes as an invaluable token of trust". Stating that DMK has been in power several times, he said, "There is no victory we have not seen and there is no defeat we have not faced".
"Whether in victory or defeat, those who regard them equally and continue their journey toward their ideals are the comrades of the party", he said adding, "You are the lifeblood and roots of the movement".
"The harvest of 1.54 crore votes is the fruit of your commitment", he said. "What return can I offer for your hard work? With the feeling of being the chief worker, we will continue our journey," the DMK chief added.
- 5 May 2026 12:06 PM IST
TVK seeks Governor meet after hung verdict in Tamil Nadu
Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has sought time for an appointment with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, seeking time to meet him over government formation, sources said. The party made a stunning debut, winning 108 seats, but fell 10 short of a majority, triggering intense post-poll negotiations to form a government.
He informed the Governor that the party had secured 108 seats, and being the single largest party, it should be invited to form the government. "We request an opportunity to demonstrate our majority," Vijay had said in an e-mail communication to the governor, a source in the TVK said. The TVK source added that the party had sought two weeks to prove the majority on the floor of the Assembly House.
With counting completed across all 234 constituencies, TVK secured 108 seats. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by MK Stalin finished a distant second with 59 seats, followed by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) at 47. Smaller parties posted modest numbers, with the Congress winning five seats and the Pattali Makkal Katchi securing four.
- 5 May 2026 11:50 AM IST
Will of people supreme, says Mahua Moitra after BJP's victory in Bengal
A day after the Trinamool Congress faced a drubbing by the BJP in the West Bengal assembly elections, TMC MP Mohua Moitra on Tuesday said her party respects the mandate as the will of the people is supreme. She also said that the party will continue the fight for a “secular country”.
In a post on X, Moitra said, “The will of the people is supreme. If Bengal wanted BJP, then Bengal has got BJP. We respect that.” The BJP on Monday scripted history by winning 206 seats to secure more than a two-thirds majority in the West Bengal assembly polls, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule.
"We fought the good fight against unimaginable odds on an uneven pitch and for that I am proud of my leader & my party," Moitra said.
She said the TMC will continue to stand and fight for a secular country where the constitution, and "not brute majoritarianism, is the last word”.
- 5 May 2026 11:29 AM IST
Congress leader concedes DMK alliance went against local sentiment amid TVK wave
AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, on Tuesday admitted that the Congress party leadership's decision to stick with the DMK alliance went against strong grassroots sentiment favouring the TVK.
"The local leaders, the grassroots level leaders, they were suggesting, if Rahul Gandhi, who has a large acceptance in Tamil Nadu, joins the campaign with Vijay, it will create a big impact and we can sweep the Tamil Nadu polls, and get somewhere around 180-190 seats," Chodankar told PTI Videos.
According to him, because of the compulsion of the INDIA bloc and DMK being a long-time ally -- the most trusted allies of Congress -- the leadership decided to continue with DMK alliance, knowing very well that TVK is going to do a remarkably good job.
Speaking on the victory of the TVK, Chodankar stated that a wave in favour of the new party had swept the state as youngsters and women voted decisively for a change, leading to a mandate that even saw the incumbent chief minister losing his seat.
Addressing the fallout of this decision, Chodankar admitted that many party workers were left angry, with some moving toward or even contesting for the TVK. "Our cadres got angry, our voters also, and then they moved towards the TVK," he added.
However, he dismissed claims that the decision was influenced by a few individuals for personal interest, asserting that the party took a concise decision after careful consideration.
- 5 May 2026 11:07 AM IST
Kerala poll results a rejection of communal polarisation attempts: Venugopal
Congress general secretary and one of the contenders for the CM post, K C Venugopal, on Tuesday (May 5) said that the Assembly poll results in Kerala were a repudiation of the communal polarisation attempts by some forces and a rejection of the decade-long "political arrogance and alleged misgovernance" by the LDF.
Venugopal also termed the BJP's victories in West Bengal and Assam as not a genuine verdict, alleging that they were achieved through unfair practices that would prevent any opposition party from winning there.
He claimed that the BJP wanted to do it in the entire country, and that is why it brought the Delimitation Bill, which was unitedly rejected by the opposition.
Regarding the poll outcome in Kerala, Venugopal said that it was a big message to those attempting communal polarisation in the state that such efforts will not bear fruit.
He said that the mature electorate of Kerala were adept at identifying suitable candidates and prioritised the state's welfare and party ideologies above religion or caste.
- 5 May 2026 10:42 AM IST
Committed to restoring Kerala's lost glory, people-centric governance model: Kharge
As the UDF sealed victory in the Kerala assembly polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said "real welfare" and economic empowerment would begin in the state now.
He thanked voters for electing the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government, and said it is committed to restoring the lost glory of Kerala. "True welfare and real economic empowerment begins in Keralam now. On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I extend heartfelt gratitude to every voter of Keralam for placing their trust in Congress and the UDF," he said in a post on X.
He thanked every leader, 'karyakarta' (worker), and our UDF allies whose "relentless hard work and dedication" helped secure the people's mandate, he said. "We remain firmly committed to restoring the lost glory of Keralam and UDF's people-centric governance model," the Congress chief said.
Kharge also congratulated all party workers for their tireless and dedicated efforts during these elections. "The results have been a mixed bag. However, we must remember that ours is an ideological battle. Such a path demands patience, perseverance, and unwavering resolve.
"Our party has always chosen the path of truth, justice, and inclusivity. While the journey may be challenging, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve the people and protect the core values of our democracy," he said.
- 5 May 2026 10:38 AM IST
'Historic hat-trick': Shah congratulates people of Assam
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the people of Assam on Monday for a "historic hat-trick mandate", terming it a strong endorsement of the tireless efforts by the NDA government over the last 10 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to build a secure, peaceful and progressive state.
"This boundless affection and cooperation are strengthening our resolve to deliver even better services to you and fulfil your hopes and aspirations," Shah said in a post on X.
This consistent third major victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Assam is a testament to the people's unwavering trust in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "double-engine" government under the leadership of Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that has transformed Assam from a land of unrest to a land of hope and development, the home minister said.
He also expressed gratitude to the people of Kerala for giving the NDA an increased vote share in the southern state. "The Modi government remains committed to the vision of 'Vikasita Keralam' and will continue to work towards it," he said. Shah also thanked the people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
- 5 May 2026 10:36 AM IST
DMK minister loses Tiruppattur seat by one vote in stunning upset
In a dramatic electoral upset, senior DMK leader and State Minister for Co-operatives KR Periyakaruppan lost the Tiruppattur Assembly seat by a razor-thin margin of just one vote in the Tamil Nadu elections.
Election Commission data revealed that Seenivasa Sethupathy R of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) secured victory with 83,375 votes, while Periyakaruppan finished with 83,374 votes. The contest witnessed a tense finish; Periyakaruppan was leading by 30 votes at the end of the penultimate round before the final tally shifted in favour of the TVK candidate.
The defeat of the sitting minister highlights the surge of actor Vijay’s TVK, which emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in a historic debut that disrupted the state's traditional bipolar politics. BJP’s KC Thirumaran finished a distant third in the constituency with 29,054 votes.
The result in Tiruppattur remains one of the closest in India's electoral history, emphasising the decisive impact of individual ballots.
