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 10:46 AM IST
Humayun Kabir takes early lead in Nowda seat count
Humayun Kabir secured an early advantage in the Nowda Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district as counting of votes continued on Monday, according to Election Commission figures.
Kabir, contesting as chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, was leading his nearest rival, Sahina Momtaz Khan of the All India Trinamool Congress, by 2,890 votes after the completion of the first round of counting.
With 19 more rounds of counting still to be completed, the contest remains open as officials continue the tabulation process.
Kabir launched the Aam Janata Unnayan Party in December after being suspended by the Trinamool Congress following his announcement about constructing a Babri-style mosque in Beldanga.
- 4 May 2026 10:45 AM IST
TVK surges ahead, leads in 106 TN seats; BJP crosses 180 in Bengal
Tamil Nadu
TVK 106
AIADMK+ 75
DMK+ 50
West Bengal
BJP+ 182
TMC+ 106
Kerala
UDF 85
LDF 42
BJP+ 1
Assam
BJP+ 97
Congress 26
AIUDF+ 2
Puducherry
NRC+ 16
TVK+ 4
Congress+ 4
- 4 May 2026 10:38 AM IST
TVK will form government with majority, says Felix Gerald
TVK on Monday projected confidence about forming the government in Tamil Nadu with an absolute majority, as early counting trends showed the party making significant gains across the state.
Party national spokesperson Felix Gerald, speaking to PTI Videos, said the early results were on expected lines and claimed voters had backed TVK out of frustration with long-established political parties.
“They may have experience of 50 or 75 years, but they have got experience only in looting the state,” Gerald said, arguing that the electorate now sees TVK as the alternative.
Responding to questions about party chief Vijay maintaining a limited media presence during the campaign, Gerald said the leader preferred connecting directly with people instead of communicating through media platforms.
He also insisted that TVK would secure enough seats to form the government on its own, without outside support.
- 4 May 2026 10:31 AM IST
Latest leads: TVK touches 100 in TN
Tamil Nadu
TVK 100
AIADMK+ 74
DMK+ 54
West Bengal
BJP+ 172
TMC+ 112
Kerala
UDF 82
LDF 45
BJP+ 3
Assam
BJP+ 97
Congress 23
AIUDF+ 2
Puducherry
NRC+ 16
TVK+ 4
- 4 May 2026 10:27 AM IST
Sunetra Pawar, Akshay Kardile lead in Maharashtra bypolls
Sunetra Pawar opened up a commanding lead in the Baramati Assembly by-election in Maharashtra as vote counting progressed on Monday. By the end of the third round, she had secured 26,773 votes, while 21 of the other 22 candidates in the contest had not crossed the 100-vote mark.
Baramati, located in Pune district, recorded a voter turnout of 58.27 per cent. The bypoll was necessitated after the death of former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.
In Rahuri, BJP candidate Akshay Kardile was leading NCP (SP) nominee Govind Mokate by over 21,000 votes.
The Rahuri by-election was held following the death of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile last October.
- 4 May 2026 10:25 AM IST
Security Tightened at Vijay’s Home as TVK Leads on 68 Seats
Security was stepped up outside the Chennai residence of Vijay as counting continued in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
According to official trends released by the Election Commission, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was leading in 68 of the state’s 234 Assembly constituencies at the time of counting, with the process still underway.
- 4 May 2026 10:23 AM IST
V D Satheesan trails in North Paravoor early count
V. D. Satheesan, one of the prominent faces of the Congress-led UDF in the Kerala Assembly elections, was trailing in the North Paravoor constituency in the early rounds of counting, according to television reports.
CPI(M) candidate E. T. Tyson had opened up an early lead of more than 240 votes after the first rounds of EVM counting.
Political observers expect the contest to tighten as votes from local bodies considered stronger for the Congress are counted in later rounds.
Satheesan, who serves as Leader of the Opposition, led the UDF campaign in the Assembly elections and is seen as one of the leading contenders for the chief minister’s post if the alliance forms the government.
Meanwhile, the latest trends showed the Indian National Congress leading in a majority of the 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala.
- 4 May 2026 10:22 AM IST
Mamata leads in Bhabanipur in early trends
Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal and supremo of the All India Trinamool Congress, took an early lead over BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency after the first round of counting on Monday, according to Election Commission data.
Banerjee polled 3,666 votes in the opening round, while Adhikari secured 1,670 votes, giving her a lead of 1,996 votes.
Counting of votes for the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections was underway across the state under tight security arrangements at counting centres.
- 4 May 2026 10:09 AM IST
Latest leads: TVK maintains lead in TN; BJP surges ahead in Bengal
Tamil Nadu
TVK 84
AIADMK+ 72
DMK+ 55
West Bengal
BJP+ 168
TMC+ 112
Kerala
UDF 76
LDF 47
BJP+ 4
Assam
BJP+ 92
Congress 26
AIUDF+ 1
Puducherry
NRC+ 16
TVK+ 4
- 4 May 2026 10:04 AM IST
Congress leads in Bagalkot, BJP ahead in Davanagere South
Early trends in the Karnataka Assembly by-elections showed the ruling Congress holding an advantage in Bagalkot, while the opposition BJP stayed ahead in Davanagere South as vote counting continued on Monday. Polling for both seats was held on April 9.
The by-elections were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress legislators H. Y. Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
According to the Election Commission, Congress candidate Umesh Meti was leading BJP’s Veerabhadrayya Charantimath by 5,016 votes in Bagalkot. In Davanagere South, BJP’s Srinivas T. Dasakariyappa was ahead of Congress nominee Samarth Mallikarjun by 577 votes.
The contests are being closely watched as a prestige battle between the ruling Congress and the BJP, even though the outcome is not expected to immediately alter Karnataka’s political balance. A clearer picture is expected by midday.
