Vote counting LIVE: Vijay shocks Dravidian giants; BJP crosses 200 in Bengal; UDF wave in Kerala
The 2026 election story: The fall of bastions, the rise of a superstar, and a saffron breakthrough in the East.
Extending its saffron spread in eastern India, the BJP is set for a decisive win over the TMC in long elusive West Bengal and headed for another term in Assam while actor-politician Vijay’s TVK made a stunning debut in Tamil Nadu as the largest single party in terms of seats won or led. As votes were counted for Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, Election Commission trends showed a wipeout of the Left and a solitary win for the Congress that has been battling diminishing electoral returns.
Also Read: Understanding the Vijay phenomenon in Tamil Nadu politics
Also Read: What explains Bengal’s saffron shift? 6 reasons why Mamata was decimated
Also Read: UDF landslide in Kerala: The multiple factors that toppled Left
That silver lining for the opposition party came from Kerala where the Congress-led UDF won or was leading in 101 of the 140 Assembly seats while the CPM-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) was ahead in just under 40 constituencies.
The cynosure of Election 2026, however, was West Bengal, the eastern state where the Trinamool Congress was eyeing a fourth straight term in its only bastion. As counting progressed, power for the TMC seemed to be pulling away, further and further. The state’s political landscape was changing with the BJP, its campaign spearheaded by Amit Shah with Modi as its lodestar, pushing ahead in border, tribal and industrial regions, while the TMC held ground in parts of Kolkata and select rural strongholds.
According to the Election Commission, the BJP won or was ahead in 195 of the 294 seats, well ahead of the magic number of 147, power in the state finally within its grasp. The Trinamool Congress tally was 90.
In Assam, where the election was a hot-headed affair too, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the BJP to another straight victory with leads in 81 of the 126 seats, leaving the Congress far behind at 19. Congress state unit president Gaurav Gogoi faced his first electoral defeat in Jorhat.
West Bengal was one headline of Election 2026, the other was superstar Vijay, who defied the odds and the taint of a stampede during his rally in September 2025 in which 41 people were killed. That was clearly in the past as his party broke bipolar Dravidian politics and was poised to become the largest single party in Tamil Nadu with wins and leads in 109 of the state’s 234 seats. The ruling DMK that had started the morning at number three position was at 61 and the AIADMK at 44.
Chief Minister M K Stalin lost in Kolathur. According to Election Commission data, 15 other ministers were also lagging behind.
The choice, it appeared, was clear. Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar could well join the pantheon of MGR and Jayalalithaa as the stars who made it big in the political firmament.
In Kerala, Congress broke Left's grip, winning over 100 seats. In Puducherry, the All India NR Congress had won or was ahead in 11 of the 30 seats. The DMK stood at five and the BJP at four. The TVK made its presence felt with three.
In Assam, the BJP-led NDA is set to create history surging towards a landslide victory. Under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the party is on track to secure a record third consecutive term, with leads comfortably crossing the majority mark.
As the counting is underway, follow our live updates below:
Live Updates
- 4 May 2026 9:54 PM IST
Time for change, not revenge: PM Modi after BJP's win in West Bengal polls
As the BJP swept the assembly elections in West Bengal for the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the state has been finally freed from fear and that it is a time for change, not revenge, as he appealed to all parties to shun the culture of political violence and focus on the future of the state.
Addressing the jubilant party workers at the BJP headquarters after the win in assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, Modi said the Congress, TMC and others have been punished severely for opposing the recent women's reservation bill. He asserted that the Samajwadi Party will also face the wrath of women very soon, in an apparent reference to the 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
In his nearly 50-minute speech, the prime minister said the elections in West Bengal have been special this year, as earlier they were marred by violence, fear and the death of innocent people. But this time the news was different as peaceful voting took place in West Bengal and for the first time, no one lost their life during voting, he said.
"As Bengal enters a new phase of change, I also want to make an earnest appeal to every political party in Bengal. Over the past decades in Bengal, countless lives have been ruined due to political violence. I firmly believe that this election culture of Bengal must change from today onwards."
- 4 May 2026 9:31 PM IST
Jitendra Singh quits as Assam in-charge after Congress reduced to 19 seats
Jitendra Singh has resigned as Congress general secretary in charge of Assam, taking responsibility for the party’s “deeply disappointing” performance in the state. The Congress has been reduced to just 19 seats, with state Congress chief and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi also suffering a massive defeat in his Assembly poll debut from Jorhat.
- 4 May 2026 9:23 PM IST
Post-poll violence erupts in Bengal; TMC offices targeted
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office was set on fire as incidents of violence and vandalism were reported across several parts of West Bengal on Monday (May 4) after the BJP registered an overwhelming victory in the state.
During the counting process, West Burdwan district’s Jamuria and Barabani witnessed political violence, with allegations that a TMC party office in Churulia was set ablaze and its furniture destroyed. Further details are awaited.
Local TMC leaders accused supporters of the rival party of carrying out the attack, while the BJP denied involvement and urged restraint among its workers.
“The BJP does not believe in the culture of political violence. If any of our party workers are found involved in such incidents, action will be taken against them,” BJP spokesperson Sayantan Basu said.
In Barabani, reports also emerged of vandalism at the residence of a senior local TMC functionary.
In North 24 Parganas, Baranagar constituency saw allegations of vandalism at a municipal ward-level party office of the TMC during counting hours as results trends pointed toward a clear BJP victory, triggering heightened tension in the area.
In Cooch Behar’s Dinhata region, clashes broke out between rival party supporters during counting-related mobilisation, prompting intervention by central forces to disperse crowds and restore order.
In the post-results phase, isolated incidents of damage to party offices were reported from more parts of West Burdwan and adjoining industrial areas.
The Election Commission said around 500 companies of central armed police forces had been deployed across the state to maintain law and order during counting and post-result period.
Officials of the poll-panel added that multiple complaints were being verified and CCTV and video footage from affected areas were under review. Police and administrative authorities said they were monitoring the situation closely, while political parties traded allegations over responsibility for the incidents.
- 4 May 2026 9:22 PM IST
Mamata Banerjee loses Bhabanipur seat as Suvendu Adhikari wins by 15,114 votes
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered a shock defeat in Bhabanipur, losing to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 15,114 votes. The BJP has ousted the TMC from power in West Bengal after 15 years, securing a massive victory on Monday. The party has won 156 seats and is leading on another 52.
- 4 May 2026 9:16 PM IST
BJP heavyweights register wins in Bengal
Riding a strong statewide performance, the BJP saw several of its heavyweight candidates register significant victories in the West Bengal Assembly polls, though a few prominent faces failed to cross the finish line despite the broader saffron surge.
Among the standout winners was Dilip Ghosh, who returned to the Assembly from Kharagpur Sadar with a margin of over 26,000 votes, reasserting his relevance after a Lok Sabha defeat in 2024.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari emerged victorious from Nandigram, defeating his former aide-turned-rival by more than 10,000 votes. However, his high-profile contest against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur remained inconclusive, although he was leading with a margin of 554 votes after 16 rounds of counting. Four rounds of counting are still left.
In a politically significant outcome, the mother of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim, fielded by the BJP from Panihati, surged ahead with a decisive lead, capitalising on public sentiment, while Left-backed protest face Kalatan Dasgupta finished a distant third.
Actor-turned-politician Rudranil Ghosh secured a win from Shibpur, defeating TMC’s Rana Chatterjee, while another celebrity candidate Rupa Ganguly triumphed in Sonarpur Dakshin in a closely fought contest.
Former journalist Swapan Dasgupta opened his Assembly account with a win from Rashbehari, overcoming previous electoral setbacks. Veteran leader Tapas Roy also delivered for the BJP, defeating TMC’s Shreya Pandey in Maniktala.
In north Bengal, Union minister Nisith Pramanik registered a comfortable victory from Mathabhanga, while Shankar Ghosh retained Siliguri, reinforcing the party’s stronghold in the region.
Among other notable winners, Agnimitra Paul retained Asansol South with a massive margin, Subrata Thakur held on to Gaighata, and former cricketer Ashok Dinda secured victory from Moyna.
- 4 May 2026 9:13 PM IST
BJP crosses majority mark in West Bengal Assembly
The BJP stormed past the majority mark in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, winning 156 seats and leading in 52 others, taking its overall tally to 208, according to the Election Commission.
The halfway mark stands at 148 in the 294-member House, but with counting of votes currently underway for 293 seats as polling in Fata was countermanded, the majority mark dropped to 147.
The BJP cut through the ruling TMC's traditional strongholds and expanded its footprint in both urban and rural belts. With this victory, the BJP will form its first government in the state, ending the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government's 15 years in power.
- 4 May 2026 9:05 PM IST
‘DMK bows to people’s verdict, I acted as per conscience,’ says Stalin
With actor Vijay's TVK emerging victorious in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday said his party bowed and accepted the people's verdict. The counting of polled votes was held on Monday.
Stalin asserted that the DMK, which worked well as the ruling party, would from now on work well as the main opposition party.
Further, he said: "I was truthful to all sections of people; I acted as per conscience, worked beyond my capacity." In a social media post, Stalin said that in his public life, he had seen lot of victories and defeats as well.
"I bow to people's verdict, DMK worked well as ruling party, from now on will be good opposition party. DMK's political journey will continue without any slackness." He said ideology is important rather than victories and defeats alone.
"We sought votes to continue our welfare schemes...we gave good governance, sought votes by underscoring our achievements," he added.
- 4 May 2026 8:37 PM IST
Mamata trails in Bhabanipur again
Mamata trails in Bhabanipur, Suvendu Adhikari leads with a slender margin of 554 votes after 16 rounds of counting. Four more to go. - 4 May 2026 8:15 PM IST
Mamata Banerjee alleges poll ‘loot’, calls BJP win an ‘immoral victory’
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP “looted” more than 100 seats and accused the Election Commission of acting in its favour. She termed the outcome an “immoral victory,” claimed the process was illegal with the involvement of central authorities, and asserted that her party would bounce back.
