Deepak Dwivedi
The results of the Assembly elections held across four states and one Union Territory – with notable fairness and fearlessness – have delivered a decisive mandate, offering a strong and far-reaching political message for the future of politics in the country.
The mandate is centred on the contrast between good governance and misgovernance, corruption and integrity, and dynastic politics versus the politics of the common citizen. Its long-term implications are both deep and significant. The unmistakable message is: the politics of corruption is steadily losing ground and will face decisive rejection in the years ahead.
Bengal breach, TN blockbuster stand out; BJP hits hat-trick in Assam; Left is ousted in Kerala
These elections represent a significant step in reshaping Indian politics and strengthening the foundations of the country’s democracy. At the core of this transformation lies the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 46-year-old ideological foundation, rooted in integrity, social harmony, unity, and national cohesion.
The ideological commitment of the party’s founding fathers has found its most prominent expression under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has translated these into governance and national policy.
The May 4 results witnessed more than one political upheaval – the BJP stormed Mamata Banerjee-led TMC’s formidable fortress in West Bengal and breached it by a huge margin of votes; and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) demolishing well-entrenched Dravidian formations like the DMK and the AIADMK in Tami Nadu.
The BJP roared back with an emphatic victory in Assam, winning the northeastern state for the third time in a row; while in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF turned the tables on the incumbent LDF, reclaiming power and reaffirming the state’s cyclical electoral instinct. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, the ruling All India NR Congress (AINRC) Party staged a comfortable comeback.
Taken together, these outcomes underline a broader national pattern: voters are increasingly willing to reward performance continuity in some states while decisively punishing stagnation in others, suggesting a more discerning and less predictable electorate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as the biggest political gainer, with the BJP’s surge in West Bengal seen as a personal and organisational victory. The party has made deep inroads across urban centres, border districts and the Scheduled Caste Hindu voters.
These regions appear to have swung more cohesively than expected, indicating that the BJP’s long-term investment in social coalitions and grassroots cadre-building is now yielding dividends. The scale of this penetration also signals a shift from episodic electoral gains to structural entrenchment in eastern India.
In West Bengal, the BJP secured 206 seats out of a total of 293 (repoll is to be held on one seat), relegating the ruling TMC to a poor second at 81. In Tamil Nadu, the TVK bagged 107 seats, falling short of a majority by 10 seats. The ruling DMK along with its allies was stopped at 74, while the AIADMK won 53. In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF won 102 seats against the LDF’s 35. Assam remained with the BJP for the third consecutive term, with the party winning 102 seats out of the total 126. In Puducherry, the NDA alliance bagged 16 seats, followed by the Congress with 6, TVK 2 and others 6.
The Tamil Nadu verdict, in particular, marks a generational disruption, breaking the decades-old Dravidian duopoly and suggesting a growing appetite for alternative political narratives anchored in personality-driven mobilisation.
The verdict also exposed the limits of pollsters, who struggled with Bengal’s local dynamics and undercurrents, but still remained off the mark. Social coalitions among urban voters and women beneficiaries converged sharply, producing a decisive wave for the BJP in the state.