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 10:01 AM IST
UDF set for 100 seats in Kerala, says Sunny Joseph
Early counting trends in the Kerala Assembly elections appeared to strengthen the position of the Congress-led UDF, prompting confident reactions from party leaders after the first hour of vote counting.
Sunny Joseph, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, said the initial numbers pointed clearly towards a favourable trend for the alliance. Speaking to a television channel, he expressed confidence that the UDF would cross the 100-seat mark in the 140-member Assembly.
According to early reports, the UDF was leading in more than 90 constituencies after the first hour of counting. The CPI(M)-led LDF was ahead in just over 40 seats, while the BJP-led NDA was leading in five constituencies.
Reports also suggested that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with several ministers in the state government, was trailing in the opening rounds of counting.
- 4 May 2026 9:59 AM IST
PM Modi’s Bengal push paying off, says Suvendu Adhikari
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said on Monday said that the guarantee given by PM Modi to build Bengal under his leadership has been in his favour.
“There is no need to be so hasty. I will tell you after 11:00 AM...,” he added.
“This time there's a Hindu consolidation, and the way Muslims vote for TMC, they have not done that this time. Some votes have gone to the pro-Muslim party. BJP has also got some in small amounts. I was not expecting such a good performance in the Muslim booth in Nandigram...,” he added.
- 4 May 2026 9:56 AM IST
Latest leads: TVK ahead in TN; BJP on top in Bengal
Tamil Nadu
DMK+ 62
TVK 70
AIADMK+ 66
West Bengal
BJP+ 163
TMC+ 114
Kerala
UDF 70
LDF 37
BJP+ 4
Assam
BJP+ 89
Congress 24
AIUDF+ 2
Puducherry
NRC+ 13
TVK+ 4
- 4 May 2026 9:42 AM IST
Kerala ministers trail as early Assembly trends emerge
As vote counting gathered pace in the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, early trends indicated that several ministers in the ruling government were facing setbacks in their constituencies.
Television reports in the opening hour of counting showed ministers Veena George, M. B. Rajesh, O. R. Kelu, R. Bindu, J. Chinchurani, P. Rajeev, K. B. Ganesh Kumar and Roshy Augustine trailing in their respective seats.
The counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines had already begun across the state.
Meanwhile, early trends suggested the Congress-led UDF was ahead in nearly 80 constituencies. The CPI(M)-led LDF was leading in a little over 50 seats, while the BJP-led NDA was ahead in around five Assembly constituencies as the first rounds of counting unfolded.
- 4 May 2026 9:40 AM IST
Leads at 9:40 am: TVK overtakes DMK in TN
Tamil Nadu
TVK 67
DMK+ 58
AIADMK+ 56
West Bengal
BJP+ 159
TMC+ 119
Kerala
UDF 65
LDF 34
BJP+ 4
Assam
BJP+ 84
Congress 23
AIUDF+ 2
Puducherry
NRC+ 13
TVK+ 4
- 4 May 2026 9:37 AM IST
UDF leads in Kerala as early counting trends emerge
Vote counting for the Kerala Assembly elections held on April 9 began with the counting of EVM ballots, and early trends after 9 am placed the Congress-led UDF in a strong position across the state.
Initial reports showed the UDF leading in nearly 90 constituencies, suggesting a clear advantage in the early phase of counting. The CPI(M)-led LDF was ahead in more than 40 seats, while the BJP-led NDA opened with leads in around five Assembly segments.
According to Election Commission figures, the Indian National Congress was leading in 10 seats. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was ahead in five, while the Communist Party of India and the Revolutionary Socialist Party each led in two seats. IUML, RJD and Kerala Congress (KEC) were leading in one seat each.
The emerging trends appeared to back the UDF’s claim of securing a decisive majority and potentially returning to power in the state.
- 4 May 2026 9:32 AM IST
BJP, Congress candidates lead in Assembly bypoll trends
Early trends released by the Election Commission in the State Assembly by-elections showed candidates from the BJP and Congress taking leads across multiple states.
In Gujarat, BJP candidate Harshadbhai Govindbhai Parmar was leading from Unreth. In Karnataka, Congress candidate Umesh Hullappa Meti held the lead in Bagalkot, while BJP’s Srinivas Daskariyappa was ahead in Davangere South.
In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP candidate Sunetra Pawar was leading in Baramati. BJP’s Akshay Shivajirao Kardile was also ahead in Rahuri.
In Tripura, BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti was leading in Dharamnagar.
- 4 May 2026 9:26 AM IST
No victory rallies will be allowed after announcement of results in Bengal: EC official
No rallies celebrating the victory of candidates will be allowed anywhere in West Bengal on Monday, a senior official of the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office said.
The official also said the poll panel is looking into complaints that agents of different parties were unable to reach counting centres.
"No rallies celebrating wins of candidates following the announcement of results will be allowed anywhere in the state today," special observer Subrata Gupta told reporters.
"We are looking into the issue of agents unable to reach their centres. It will be resolved soon," he said.
