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 8:01 PM IST
AIADMK chief Palaniswami wins by record margin from Edappadi
AIADMK chief K Palaniswami on Monday won by a record margin of 98,110 votes from Edappadi assembly constituency in the district.
The former chief minister defeated his nearest rival, an independent candidate Premkumar K, by securing 1,48,933 votes. This is Palaniswami's sixth big win from the constituency in Salem district since the 1989 Assembly elections. He also trounced the DMK candidate Kasi C, who polled 44,011 votes.
Palaniswami is among 22 party candidates who have been announced winners by the ECI. The party is leading in 26 other constituencies and the counting of votes is apace.
- 4 May 2026 7:47 PM IST
Udhayanidhi Stalin wins from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin secured a victory in the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency on Monday with a margin of 7,140 votes.
In the initial few rounds, the DMK leader trailed behind TVK's Selvam D. The victory reinforces the DMK's stronghold in the historic assembly seat, previously represented by his grandfather and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Following the official declaration, supporters gathered to celebrate the win, viewing it as a validation of his extensive grassroots campaigning.
- 4 May 2026 7:35 PM IST
'Bypoll wins encourage us, Sunetra Pawar scores big': PM Modi
"The results of various by-elections today were also very encouraging. In the by-elections held in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, and Tripura, our candidates were blessed by the people and won in these states as well. NDA leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar also won a landslide victory...,”said PM Modi at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
- 4 May 2026 7:31 PM IST
PM Modi credits BJP chief Nitin Nabin for poll victory
"These were the first assembly elections since BJP President Nitin Nabin assumed the presidency. The guidance provided to every party worker during these elections proved invaluable in this victory." said PM Modi at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
- 4 May 2026 7:28 PM IST
PM Modi bows to voters, hails BJP workers after big wins
"Today, I respectfully bow to the people of Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and the people of Tamil Nadu and Keralam... I also heartily congratulate the millions of BJP workers. Every BJP worker, big or small, has once again performed wonders. They have made the lotus bloom..." said PM Modi at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
- 4 May 2026 7:25 PM IST
‘Day of trust’: PM Modi hails BJP workers after big wins
"As a party worker, I share the joy of every BJP worker. Today is a special day in many ways. It marks the announcement of a bright future for the country. This is a day of trust. Trust in India's great democracy. Trust in the politics of performance... Trust in the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat',” said PM Modi at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
- 4 May 2026 7:22 PM IST
‘Historic day’: PM Modi hails BJP workers after big win in Bengal, Assam
"Today is a historic day. It is unprecedented. When years of efforts turn into success, the happiness that is seen on the faces of people is the same happiness that I see on the faces of BJP workers across the country today,” said PM Modi at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
- 4 May 2026 7:12 PM IST
Former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran wins Ambalapuzha for UDF
G. Sudhakaran, who quit the CPI(M) ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections and contested as a UDF-backed Independent, scored a major victory in the Ambalapuzha constituency in Kerala on Monday.
According to Election Commission figures, Sudhakaran secured 75,184 votes and defeated CPI(M) candidate H. Salam by a margin of 27,935 votes. Salam polled 47,249 votes.
A former Public Works Department minister in the first government led by Pinarayi Vijayan, Sudhakaran has long been known for his clean public image and commitment to Left values.
Ahead of the election, he announced that he would not renew his party membership and levelled allegations against the CPI(M) leadership, particularly state secretary M. V. Govindan.
In another key result, Sunny Joseph retained Peravoor by defeating CPI(M) leader and former health minister K. K. Shailaja by 14,453 votes.
The Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala with a massive mandate, winning nearly 100 seats in the 140-member Assembly.
- 4 May 2026 7:01 PM IST
NDA crosses majority mark in Assam, set for third term
The ruling NDA crossed the majority mark in Assam on Monday, securing 70 seats in the 126-member Assembly as counting continued, according to Election Commission data.
The halfway mark to form the government in the state is 64, and the latest numbers placed the alliance comfortably ahead as it moved closer to retaining power.
The BJP emerged as the biggest contributor to the alliance’s tally, winning 58 seats. Its allies, the Bodoland People's Front and the Asom Gana Parishad, secured seven and five seats respectively.
The BJP was also leading in 20 more constituencies, while the AGP and BPF were ahead in five and three seats respectively.
In the opposition camp, the Indian National Congress had won five seats and was leading in 14 others. The All India United Democratic Front, Raijor Dal and the All India Trinamool Congress had won one seat each.
Polling across all 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam was held on April 9.
- 4 May 2026 6:51 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi calls Mamata, Stalin, congratulates Vijay on TVK win
Rahul Gandhi on Monday spoke to several opposition leaders following the Assembly election results, including Mamata Banerjee, M. K. Stalin and Vijay.
The outreach was confirmed by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who said Gandhi discussed the election outcome with Banerjee and Stalin, whose parties faced significant electoral setbacks in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu respectively.
Gandhi also spoke to Vijay, president of TVK, and congratulated him on his party’s performance in its debut Assembly election.
The calls came amid dramatic political shifts across states, with TVK emerging as one of the biggest gainers in Tamil Nadu and the opposition camp beginning internal consultations over the implications of the verdict. Gandhi’s conversations were seen as part of the Congress leadership’s outreach to key regional players following the election results.
