Mainstream WeeklyMay 5, 2026
Results of the much awaited assembly elections held in five States are out throwing up numerous questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the contending Political Parties, their strategies and the implications of the outcome for national and regional politics.
Let me start my analysis with the smallest of the States, Puducherry first. The contest did not attract much media glaze as it was more or less a forgone conclusion that the NDA would return to power. Mr. Rangaswamy-led All India NR Congress (AAINRC) with the BJP and AIADMK has returned to power with no talk of anti-incumbency etc, as the Opposition was/is in no position to unseat the NDA Government. AINRC won 12 seats (plus 2) BJP 4 (minus 2) and LJK one seat. AIADMK secured one seat from its earlier position of zero. Rangaswamy will be sworn in as CM for a record fifth time, something which is not talked or written about. His simplicity and charisma has worked in his favour. BJP can be satisfied that its foothold in the State is intact.
Keralam is another southern State where the results have gone on expected lines. The LDF led by CPM supremo Pinarayi Vijayan which was seeking a third term was resoundingly defeated by the UDF led by the Congress Party. Congress won 63 seats, with the UDF capturing 102 in the 140 members Legislative Assembly. Vijayan, though had done well failed to win the support of the State electorate for his centralised leadership model of development. He was seen largely as becoming authoritarian resulting in his own defeat at the hands of a young Congress leader in his own home constituency. With the defeat of the LDF, the last bastion of Left rule has ended in an India.
TamilNadu, another key State which went to the polls, has produced a largely unexpected result with Vijay-led TVK, a first time debutant in electoral politics capturing power. Though the Party has not secured a majority on its own, ( it has secured 107 seats, as Vijay has to resign from his second seat) falling short of the majority mark of 118. DMK which was widely forecast to return to power has been massively defeated with the defeat of its leader Stalin too at the hustlings. The DMK has secured 74 including 5 of Congress and AIADMK 53. Tamilnadu which is famous for entrusting po,itical power to film stars like MGR and J Jayalalitha has likewise voted Vijaya and his TVK to power. The difference however is that Vijayan is a novice in politics whereas MG Ramachandran and Jayalalitha had associated themselves with the Dravidian Party/s while still being in filmdom. The election results have sounded the end of Dravidian duopoly, though of course the DMK which will remain the main Opposition in the Assembly and the AIADMK reduced to number 3 position in the post-Jayalalitha phase of TamilNadu Politics.
As for Assam, the BJP-led NDA has beaten anti-incumbency and returned to power for the third consecutive time. The BJP under the leadership of Hemant Biswas Sarma has secured 82 seats, 18 more than the majority mark to form a government on its own. Together with its allies the NDA has won 102 seats in the assembly of 126 . Sarma, an erstwhile Congressman joined the BJP in 2006 has emerged as a powerful leader in the State. BJP has solidly consolidated its position in the State.
Finally,the mother of all electoral battles was fought in West Bengal where the BJP was determined to wrest power from Mamata Banerjee