The Mahila (women) voters have long formed the backbone of the Trinamool Congress's electoral success. Over the past decade, Mamata Banerjee has kept this vote bank in her focus and introduced a slew of welfare schemes targeted at women, including the Lakshmir Bhandar direct cash transfer program and the Kanyashree scheme to support girls.

However, in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP also centered its poll pitch around women-centric incentives and welfare schemes. The RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case also became a major issue in the polls, with the BJP targeting Trinamool over the safety of women. The saffron party also gave a ticket to the victim's mother from the Panihati seat.

Over 15 years ago, Mamata Banerjee broke 34 years of Left rule in West Bengal with the power of three Ms-- "Ma, Mati, Manush" (Mother, Soil, People). Since then, the slogan has been the cornerstone behind the Trinamool Congress's three consecutive victories in the state. But in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the pitch seemed to have faltered with five other key Ms-- Muslim, Mahila (women), migrants, the Matua community, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s poll machinery-- threatening to challenge Mamata Banerjee's winning trail.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has managed to maintain its hold in Assam and has taken a mammoth lead in West Bengal, making its closest approach to power in the state's history. In Bengal, the BJP is leading on 193 seats as of 1.03 pm, compared to the ruling Trinamool Congress' 96. In Assam, the BJP is set to form the government for the third consecutive time, nearing the 100-seat mark in the 126-member Assembly. 

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has called the result a choice of the voters. In a conversation with NDTV, the veteran politician talked about the possibility of forming a BJP government for the first time in West Bengal. 

Naqvi said that the voters had cast their mandate in huge numbers despite an attempt to create disinformation and confusion around the polls. He called it an example of a vibrant democracy.

"BJP's lead is not by chance, it is by people's choice" : BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (@naqvimukhtar)#ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/cGLgwguSB6

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

The DMK and AIADMK have traded election wins and rotated governments since.

And Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were seen as the favourites this time, having thumped its rival in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha and the 2021 state polls.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - largely rudderless since the death of party icon J Jayalalithaa in December 2016 - were seen to be in a re-building phase, with serious questions over the leadership nous of ex-Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Doubts were also cast over Palaniswami's decision to re-align with the Bharatiya Janata Party - the acrimonious split of September 2023 apparently a thing of the past - given the national party's dismal track record in the state, a political puzzle it has never quite managed to answer.

The stage seemed set for Stalin and the DMK to claim a second consecutive term; the outgoing Chief Minister exuded confidence last week when he said: "There is no doubt about victory. I am saying this not on the basis of exit polls but on the basis of feelings of party workers I see."

Except there was.

In a state where voters' only options - i.e., parties that understood the Dravidian identity - were the DMK and AIADMK, Vijay offered something they have not had in decades - a choice.

In a video message posted on Facebook, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee requested counting agents and candidates not to leave the counting area. Calling it the "BJP's plan", Banerjee said, "Since yesterday, I have been saying that they will show their results first and ours later in the first two or three rounds. Counting has been stopped after two or three rounds in about 100 locations. Seven machines were found in Kalyani, where there was no match. It's a total forceful use of central forces to oppress the Trinamool Congress everywhere, breaking offices, and forcibly occupying them."

According to leads at 12:52 pm, the BJP is leading in 190 seats, while the Trinamool is leading in 98 seats. In her message, Banerjee alleged the BJP of feeding "false news" and showing only their results.

"You have seen how they looted votes in the name of SIR to win the seats they could. But there are still 70-100 seats where we are leading, which they are not reporting. They are feeding entirely false news. The Election Commission is playing according to its will, along with the central forces. Our police are working under the central forces with complete submission. Therefore, I will tell all our counting agents and all our party workers not to be so upset," she added.

Banerjee claimed that the Trinamool will "win after sunset."

"Even if three or four rounds have been counted, there are 14-18 rounds in total. You will win then. Wait and watch. We are with you. Don't be afraid. We will fight like tiger cubs," Banerjee told party workers.

“They will first show their results… this is BJP’s plan. We will fight like the cubs of a tiger”: Mamata Banerjee in video

“Won’t join hands with TVK; EPS will become Chief Minister”: AIADMK Senior Leader C Ponnaiyan tells NDTV.

In Tamil Nadu, where votes were cast for 234 seats, actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is leading in 105 seats, close to the halfway mark of 118.

The AIADMK-led alliance is leading in 71 seats, while the ruling DMK, in alliance with Congress and DMDK, has taken a third spot with a lead in 57 seats.

#TamilNaduElectionResults2026 | “Won’t join hands with TVK; EPS will become CM”: AIADMK Senior Leader C Ponnaiyan to NDTV’s @radhika1705 #ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections pic.twitter.com/CvQsfEYRpk

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Omar Abdullah used an informal British phrase to convey his mood late Monday morning as votes are being counted across the four states - Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu - and a Union territory.

"Bloody hell," the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister posted on X at 11 am, with an emoticon representing shock.

At 12:32 pm, the BJP is leading in 190 seats in West Bengal, long considered Mission Impossible for the party. In Tamil Nadu, Vijay's party, the TVK, making its poll debut, is leading in 104 seats, delivering a huge shock to the ruling DMK, which is leading in 56 seats and is at the third position.

Bloody hell 😱😱😱!!

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 4, 2026

"People voted against infiltrators and attempts to change the state's demographic. There was Hindu consolidation. Hindu women have voted en masse for the BJP. We also got Adivasi votes. Trinamool only did appeasement politics," Suvendu Adhikari tells NDTV.

Who will become Chief Minister of West Bengal? BJP's Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) responds #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/1I4xZ0BMRc

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

"The BJP will form the government with more than 180 seats," says BJP candidate Suvendhu Adhikari from Nandigram and Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies.

The BJP is leading in 193 seats, according to trends. 

Suvendhu Adhikari is trailing in the Bhabanipur constituency, where he is fighting against former close aide and Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee. He, however, is leading in Nandigram.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: BJP candidate from Nandigram and Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies, Suvendu Adhikari, says, "The BJP will form the government with more than 180 seats." pic.twitter.com/1SpWYj1nQG

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

BJP workers distribute sweets outside the counting centre in  Bhabanipur assembly constituency as the BJP crosses the majority mark of 148 in the state. The BJP is currently leading in 198 seats, while Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is leading in 92 seats.

TVK workers distribute sweets outside the party headquarters in Chennai, as the party continues its lead in the state and is poised to emerge as the single-largest party.

It is currently leading in 109 seats of the total 234 in the state.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Elections 2026 | TVK workers distribute sweets outside the party HQ in Chennai, as the party continues its lead in the state and is poised to emerge as the single-largest party.
It is currently leading in 108 seats of the total 234 in the state. pic.twitter.com/SQjeURyl6z

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Celebrations are underway at the Congress Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram as the Congress-led UDF has crossed the majority mark of 71 seats in the state.

Party's General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, state party chief Sunny Joseph, Leader o Opposition VD Satheesan, MPs Shashi Tharoor and K Suresh, and leader Ramesh Chennithala cut a cake in celebration.

#WATCH | Keralam Elections 2026 | Celebrations underway at the Congress Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram as the Congress-led UDF has crossed the majority mark of 71 seats in the state.
Party's General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, state party chief Sunny Joseph, LoP… pic.twitter.com/gX7eHXyJJg

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

The formation of government in Tamil Nadu may require a kingmaker after Vijay's stellar debut disrupted political equations in the state which had been witnessing a duopoly for several decades. The triangular contest, which the actor-politician's TVK is leading by a substantial margin, has ensured that no single party appears to reach the magic figure of 118. The distant-second AIADMK appears to have gauged the possible post-poll situation and is playing hard-to-get, as it has refused to enter into an alliance with TVK even if Vijay offers.

C Ponnaiyan, a senior leader of the AIADMK, told NDTV in an interview that his party will decline any alliance offer from the TVK.

"They (TVK) are doing well in urban areas. We will do well in rural areas, when counting goes there, we will win more and EPS (Edappadi K. Palaniswami)  will become CM," he added.

"Our alliance is strong and united, and we won't join hands with TVK," he added.

"We expected this because people of Tamil Nadu wanted a change," said TVK spokesperson Felix Gerald as trends show Vijay's party leading in 110 seats. The majority mark is set at 118.

#TamilNaduElectionResults2026 | "We expected this because people of Tamil Nadu wanted a change": TVK spokesperson Felix Gerald as trends show Vijay's party leading in Tamil Nadu#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections pic.twitter.com/U0vijHhQGz

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

#KeralaElectionResults2026 | Congress workers celebrate, dance to drum beats as trends show UDF leading in Kerala#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections pic.twitter.com/f0bOkxFvuj

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Ratna Debnath, the mother of the young woman who was raped and killed in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is leading from Panihati seat in the West Bengal assembly election. She is contesting on a BJP ticket.

The Trinamool Congress's Tirthankar Ghosh is trailing in this seat.

Celebrations at actor Vijay's house as trends show his party TVK  leading in 111 seats.

#WATCH | Celebrations at Vijay's house as trends show TVK's lead in Tamil Nadu battle#Vijay #ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections #TamilNaduElections pic.twitter.com/C2rRbmt61l

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Calling it an exercise in audacity, Congress leader Pawan Khera refused to comment on early trends showing BJP, Congress in the lead in Bengal and Kerala, respectively.

"Would not be so audacious as to to start commenting on such early trends. For any responsible political being or activist, we need to wait for a couple of hours in order to analyse and start talking about it.  These are trends, not results," Khera, who appeared on NDTV days after securing anticipatory bail in connection with an FIR lodged over his alleged remarks against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma's wife, said when asked about the BJP's lead in Bengal. 

Prime Minister Modi to visit the BJP headquarters in New Delhi at 6:30 PM and address workers.

BJP candidate from Panihati and RG Kar victim's mother Ratna Debnath trails as trends continue to come in for West Bengal.

Supporters of Tamil Nadu's DMK expressed their anger by uprooting some party banners and poles at their office in Chennai after the assembly election numbers showed the ruling behind actor Vijay's TVK and the alliance led by the AIADMK.

Some wooden poles with posters of the party led by MK Stalin were seen fallen on the ground. Another set of DMK supporters at the venue told NDTV they will erect the banners and poles back where they stood.

DMK supporters break down as DMK trails in Tamil Nadu as per trends @jsamdaniel #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/6NhJhOppM4

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

"We were upset. We will put back the things we removed," a DMK supporter told NDTV.

Many of them broke down in front of cameras. They expressed disbelief that the new party led by actor Vijay managed to win more seats than the traditional party. 

#BengalElectionResults2026 | Hopeful of forming government in Bengal: Assam BJP Chief Dilip Saikia#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections pic.twitter.com/RvuLR9XzQf

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Note: These are early trends.

TVK Cadres Dance, Whistle As Trends Show Vijay's Party Leads Tamil Nadu Battle#Vijay #ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections #TamilNaduElections #TVK pic.twitter.com/VdI6m1XXvp

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

SIR a game changer in West Bengal polls 2026? NDTV consultant Mohua Chatterjee (@reporter_mohua) decodes the details #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/ppwTYw9BeM

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

"TV channels showing us leading in 100 seats - this may not last, but we are enjoying it for now," says Senior Congress leader and MP Dr Shashi Tharoor.

"TV channels showing us leading in 100 seats - this may not last, but we are enjoying it for now" : Senior Congress leader and MP Dr Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/lfILKmRdM6

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

#BengalElectionResults2026 | Siliguri, Darjeeling: Celebration scenes outside counting centre as early trends favour BJP #ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections pic.twitter.com/4WYarorezO

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was asked who would be Kerala's Chief Minister. He gave a two-word response: "No clue."

In Kerala, a state with 140 assembly seats, the Congress-led UDF is leading in over 80 seats.

"Look, I mean the honest answer is that I have no clue because the truth is the way it works in our party is that you will actually have a consultation amongst the victorious MLAs by a representative, the Congress president, and then you will find the high command making the final decision. ... the fact that we have an abundance of talent is a good sign," Tharoor said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the electorate had voted decisively for change and expressed confidence that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would form a comfortable majority government.

Speaking to NDTV, Tharoor stated: "They have voted decisively for change, even when individual ministers or MLAs of the ruling front may have been popular. People have voted against them because they recognise that voting for them would merely mean a continuation of misgovernance. That's an amazing sign of the maturity of the electorate, and I think we have every reason to be saying that the result is better than expected, and we should be forming a comfortable majority government here."

Suvendu Adhikari bounces back, leads Mamata Banerjee in high-prestige see-saw Bhabanipur battle. 

Early trends projecting Vijay's TVK at over 100 seats have revived alliance chatter in Chennai's power corridors, but months of public denials, bruising attacks and collapsed talks mean any AIADMK-Vijay tie-up would have to be built over political ashes, not optimism.

Formal denials on both sides have shut the door on a pre-poll AIADMK-Vijay alliance in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election, even as the scale of TVK's debut leaves the question of post-poll arithmetic firmly alive. 

Actor Vijay's TVK is leading in 88 seats, leaving behind AIADMK and DMK in second and third spot, according to the early leads. Reacting to the trends, TVK leader Felix Gerald said "We are confident that we will win... We are very happy.. We expected this result only."

Gerald attributed this 'win' to the need for a change.

"Our leader Vijay speaks directly to the people of Tamil Nadu. Hence, it works out," 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. 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," says BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.

Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi is trailing in Jorhat. Reacting to the current trends, Gogoi said: "This is just the beginning, we will see how the counting is going on in the entire state, and we will keep an eye on every vote being counted properly in every round."

#WATCH | Assam Elections 2026 | On the early trends, Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi says, "This is just the beginning, we will see how the counting is going on in the entire state, and we will keep an eye on every vote being counted properly in every round." pic.twitter.com/Ur1kxghz4x

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Karnataka Bypolls 2026: In a major security lapse in the Davanagere South Assembly constituency, strong room keys reportedly went missing, forcing officials to break open the door to access the EVM storage area. The incident had raised concerns over election security protocols.

#KarnatakaBypolls2026 | In a major security lapse in the Davanagere South Assembly constituency, strong room keys reportedly went missing, forcing officials to break open the door to access the EVM storage area. The incident had raised concerns over election security protocols.… pic.twitter.com/a1xP4RZdZd

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Trinamool candidate Becharam Mann is ahead by a margin of just 397 votes in Singur. 

'Confident that we are going to win,' says Congress candidate from New Guwahati Santanu Bora, as the counting of votes unfolds.

'Confident that we are going to win': Congress candidate from New Guwahati Santanu Bora, as counting of votes unfolds#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections #AssamElectionResults @RatnadipC pic.twitter.com/v9bl8uiDCv

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi is trailing in the Jorhat assembly constituency while BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami, who has held the seat since 2016, is leading.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, a three-time Member of Parliament (MP), contested from Jorhat assembly constituency against BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami, who has held the seat since 2016. His father Tarun Gogoi was a Congress stalwart and former chief minister of Assam. Born in September 1982, Gaurav Gogoi started his political career in 2014, winning the Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency against BJP's Mrinal Kumar Saikia by 93,000 votes. In 2019, he was re-elected, defeating Asom Gana Parishad's Moni Madhab Mahanta by 2,09,994 votes. In 2024, Gogoi contested from Jorhat, defeating BJP candidate Topon Kumar Gogoi. He got a warm welcome from the supporters who affectionately called him "Amar Lora" (our son).

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is giving a tough competition to Suvendu Adhikari, a former close aide. 

The BJP's Adhikari has contested from the family bastion of Nandigram and Bhabanipur too. He is currently leading from Nandigram.

"There will be tough battle in Bhabanipur, these are early trends," said BJP's Suvendu Adhikari as early leads show him leading in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's home ground.

"There will be tough battle in Bhabanipur, these are early trends" : BJP's Suvendu Adhikari #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/Rwb7aHiqGl

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Two years ago, in February 2024, Vijay announced the formation of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or TVK. He also made it clear that his party will make its electoral debut in the 2026 state polls. "Politics is not just another profession for me. It is a sacred service of the people," he said in his inaugural speech.

"Politics is not my hobby, it is my quest," he underlined, making his intent clear: that he is here to stay. On the same day, he announced that his upcoming Thalapathy 69, which would later be renamed Jana Nayagan (People's Leader) - would be his final film. The film, which was due for release in January, is still stuck with the Censor Board. The 51-year-old actor will contest from Perambur and Tiruchi East. The actor's party says it's committed to principled politics. "TVK works to advance people-centric politics - for the people, with the people, as one among the people," the party website declared.

Actor Vijay's TVK is leading in 57 seats, close to the DMK-led alliance leading in 61 seats.

Varanasi, UP: Women distribute jhalmuri at Kashi ghats as BJP leads in West Bengal trends
#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults #AssemblyElections #BengalElectionResults pic.twitter.com/sVzTn579qP

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Early counting trends have turned the spotlight sharply on Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chennai's Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, a legacy DMK seat carrying M Karunanidhi's imprint, while Chief Minister MK Stalin faces parallel scrutiny in his home base of Kolathur.

Udhayanidhi Stalin is the sitting MLA from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, a constituency that functions as both his political launchpad and the symbolic heart of the DMK's first family. 

In a turn of events in Tamil Nadu, actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is leading in 43 seats, show early trends at 9:23 am. 

On the other hand, the AIADMK, in alliance with the BJP and PMK, is leading in 40 seats.

BJP leads in 68 seats in Assam, crosses majority mark of 64, show early trends.

Actor Vijay's new party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is leading in 27 seats.

In Tamil Nadu, where votes were cast for 234 seats, it is a triangular battle between TVK, the ruling DMK in alliance with Congress and DMDK, and the AIADMK in alliance with the BJP and PMK.

"These are postal ballots being counted, no trend can be accounted for right now," said Senior Trinamool Congress leader and MP Professor Saugata Roy as the opposition party BJP leads in 85 seats in West Bengal.

"These are postal ballots being counted, no trend can be accounted for right now" : Senior Trinamool Congress leader & MP Prof Saugata Roy (@SaugataRoyMP) @rahulkanwal @PadmajaJoshi @ShivAroor @TMVRaghav#ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/Byc0tuX0qW

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

The BJP's Suvendu Adhikari is leading Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the race for the Bhabanipur constituency as counting progresses for the 2026 Bengal Assembly election.

Adhikari, a former close aide of the Trinamool Congress leader, dealt Banerjee a shock in the last election, beating her by fewer than 2,000 votes to claim the iconic Nandigram seat. That forced the Trinamool boss to seek re-election from Bhabanipur to retain her Assembly seat.

The BJP is leading in 53 seats, close to the winning mark of 64. 

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is leading in 23 seats, while the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is leading in 9 seats, according to early trends.

In Kerala, the assembly elections 2026 have come as a direct fight between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is simply trying to increase its presence in the southern state for now.

Kerala's assembly has 140 seats, and parties need at least 71 to form a majority.

DMK in alliance with Congress and DMDK is leading in 35 seats, according to early trends. The AIADMK in alliance with the BJP and PMK is leading in 21.

BJP leads in 50 seats in West Bengal, Trinamool in 37, show trends at 8:47 am.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Vote counting has officially commenced at the Queen Mary's College counting center. The process began with the counting of postal ballots pic.twitter.com/dn9CwMTETu

— IANS (@ians_india) May 4, 2026

AIADMK headquarters in Chennai echoes with slogans as counting of Assembly election votes unfolds, with results expected throughout the day.
NDTV's @radhika1705 reports#ResultsWithNDTV #TamilNaduElectionResults pic.twitter.com/zv1PvikDue

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Early trends show BJP's Suvendu Adhikari leading from Bhabanipur in West Bengal.

In Puducherry, the Union Territory where people voted for 30 seats, the NDA alliance led by the All India NR Congress (AINRC), NRC+, is leading in three seats.

Congress is leading in 2 seats, while Vijay's TVK in 1.

In Assam, which has 126 assembly seats, the BJP is hoping for a hat-trick. Early trends in Assam show the ruling BJP leading in 10 seats.

Actor Vijay, a debutant in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, with his new party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is leading in Perambur, but trailing in Tiruchirapalli (East).

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is leading in Kolathur seat.

🔴#BREAKING | Very early leads roll in for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Keralam & Assam#ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/Sh109mNmRP

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP are leading in one seat each in West Bengal, according to early trends.

DMK, Vijay’s TVK lead in one seat each as first trends come in.

#Watch | Visuals from outside AIADMK headquarters in Chennai ahead of counting#ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/d4aCYHVKmi

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

His grandfather ruled it five times. His father is ruling it now. And he will rule it in the future. The question is not if, but when he will become Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Born November 27, 1977, Udhayanidhi Stalin is the son of MK Stalin, the boy from Chennai's Marina Beach who led the DMK to a hat-trick of wins starting with the 2019 federal election and is expected to extend that dominance into a second decade with victory in the 2026 state poll.

His rise was mapped. He follows the path his father trod from the 1980s. A 'start at the bottom and work your way up' philosophy, beginning with stewardship of the youth wing of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, though of course the climb was made easier for the younger Stalin.

That was in part because Udhayanidhi arrived with something his father didn't have - a fan base built across a decade in the movies, first as a producer then as a star. Politics and cinema are the two larger-than-life pillars of the Tamil identity and Udhayanidhi Stalin is fluent in both.

A Trinamool Congress worker alleged that they are not being allowed to take files or pens inside (booths), "but the BJP polling agents are allowed to take them inside."

The party worker said the rules should be the same for everyone.

"We are the people of Mamata Banerjee. There is no bigger identity than this," he added.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A TMC worker says, "They are not allowing us to take files or pens inside, but the BJP polling agents are allowed to take them inside. Rules should be the same for everyone. We are the people of Mamata Banerjee. There is no bigger identity than… https://t.co/ySn1AgSLhy pic.twitter.com/iVylzOvMKd

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Counting begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.

#WATCH | Keralam Elections 2026 | A strong room opened in Thiruvananthapuram. Counting of votes to begin shortly.
(Video Source: IPRD) pic.twitter.com/qDqwIPTTFC

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

On the Trinamool Congress's complaints that CCTVs in various strong rooms have gone dark for a couple of minutes, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said it was due to "load-shedding.

"The camera has been dark for a couple of minutes. It is a normal complaint which keeps coming up in every election because there are certain load-shedding periods happening sometimes. We have power backup, but that takes a few seconds or a few minutes," Agarwal said while speaking to NDTV. "But everything is transparent because the CCTV coverage can be seen outside the hall. There is a three-tier security and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The state police are there, the executive magistrate is there, so there's never any scope of tampering," he added.

#NDTVExclusive | West Bengal poll body chief Manoj Agarwal speaks to NDTV on conducting elections in the state, responds to allegations levelled by Trinamool Congress @rahulkanwal @padmajajoshi @TMVRaghav @SyyedSuhail pic.twitter.com/0kqlB5TOhH

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Tiruchi East

Tiruchi (Triruchipalli or Trichy) East is a key seat where TVK chief Vijay is making his electoral debut in a fierce three-way battle with DMK and AIADMK. 

Perambur

Vijay is also contesting from this seat against an AIADMK leader.

Kolathur

The Kolathur seat in Chennai remains critical as MK Stalin is seeking to retain his stronghold.

Edappadi

The Edappadi seat in Salem district is the fortress of Edapaddi K Palaniswami.

Coimbatore South

Coimbatore South is a battlefield for the BJP and the left-leaning alliances.

"We've been doing as a political party, making new advances, we are getting new voters. So it's, it's been a very challenging prospect. So I hope that the larger endeavor of the West Bengal BJP to capture new ground, to gain new adherence. I think that this is part of that endeavor," BJP candidate Swapan Dasgupta tells NDTV.

"Mamata Banerjee is going to come to power for the fourth time, this is written on wall of every home in West Bengal," Senior Trinamool Congress leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee to NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal.

"Mamata Banerjee is going to come to power for the 4th time, this is written on wall of every home in West Bengal" : Senior Trinamool Congress leader & MP Kalyan Banerjee (@KBanerjee_AITC) to NDTV's Editor-in-Chief @rahulkanwal #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/dW8lQCgCa1

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Abhishek Banerjee formally stepped into politics in 2011. But long before, in 1990, his aunt and three-time chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, had spotted a knack in him that would manifest as one of her Trinamool party's biggest faces decades later.

Fast forward to 2026, nearing his forties, Abhishek has grown into one of Bengal's frontline leaders. After years of learning the game that is politics from a gutsy and feisty champion of grassroots politics like his aunt, he has stepped out of her shadow.

There has been no dearth of dynastic politics barbs, or in Bangla, the 'bhaipo' (nephew) taunts. But Abhishek hasn't shied away from claiming what's his. He has claimed his space in a party formed by his aunt.

Even if Trinamool is not looking for a successor for Mamata yet, Abhishek has announced his arrival.

Stalin was born March 1, 1953. Stalin died March 5, 1953. He was 74 years old.

It sounds confusing. It isn't. This is the story of the first Stalin.

A boy was born in Madras (now Chennai) 73 years ago. His father wanted to call him Ayyadurai, to honour two of Tamil Nadu's most revered leaders - EV 'Periyar' Ramsamy and CN Annadurai. One was a fiery activist whose intellectual legacy still defines the Tamil social and cultural identity, and the other was his trusted lieutenant who created a political force built around that legacy - an anti-Brahmin social awareness campaign that birthed the Dravidian movement.

Instead, at a condolence meeting at Marina Beach, the father spontaneously named his son for Joseph Stalin, a 'man of steel', a dictator feared and revered who died just days before.

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu welcomed Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin.

Today, he is Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister and the leader of the Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam, the party Annadurai founded, Periyar guided, and his father - MK Karunanidhi - led as a five-time Chief Minister until his death in 2018.

And he is set to steer the DMK to another election win.

A weaver's son from a coastal village in what was then the Madras Presidency, Pinarayi Vijayan has spent decades rising up the ranks in Kerala's politics before he became the chief minister in 2016. Born in 1944 in Kannur district's Pinarayi village, he is the 14th child of Mundayil Koran and Kalyani, a family that struggled with poverty. His father died early. Pinarayi Vijayan, then a teen, had to take up handloom weaving after he finished school education. Eventually, he got admission into Government Brennen College in Thalassery, where he completed a pre-university course and subsequently a Bachelor's degree in Economics.

Pinarayi Vijayan gained his first experience of student politics during this period, and he graduated as a highly capable student organiser.

The actual political journey began inside the Kerala Students' Federation, the predecessor to the Students' Federation of India, where he served as both president and secretary. He also led the Kerala Socialist Youth Federation, participating in the agitational politics of Kerala's communist movement before most of his contemporaries had found what they wanted to do.

He was taken into the Kannur district committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), at 24 and was a key member of the party's district secretariat by 28.

Continue reading here

Bengal has 294 Assembly constituencies, and many of them are expected to see a close contest. Predicting who will win becomes very tough, but poll experts point to 37 "bellwether seats" which may help determine the eventual winner.

Since 1977, whichever party has won the majority of these seats has always gone on to form the government in the state.

These 37 seats make up about 13 per cent of the total 294 Assembly constituencies. They are spread across the state and include all types of seats - general, Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST).

#ResultsWithNDTV | Tamil Nadu 2021 results decoded: DMK, Congress and AIADMK @PadmajaJoshi @TMVRaghav pic.twitter.com/wwUCwRRzAD

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Pradyut Bordoloi, BJP candidate from Dispur assembly constituency, said the people of Assam have voted "overwhelmingly for the BJP and BJP-led NDA. I'm sure that by evening today, the people of Assam will have given a very firm mandate that there'll be a successive BJP-led government and Himanta Biswa Sarma will be the chief minister again."

#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam: BJP candidate from Dispur assembly constituency Pradyut Bordoloi, says, "The counting of votes is going to start very soon now. You can feel it throughout Assam that people have voted overwhelmingly for the BJP and BJP BJP-led NDA. I'm sure that by… https://t.co/1CKd4873Xo pic.twitter.com/3LY6UVHW1L

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

In the BJP's poll campaign, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dwelt on driving out illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and protecting "Jati-Mati-Bheti" - the Assamese culture, language and identity. The Congress targeted Sarma, the BJP's strategist in the northeast, claiming the chief minister and his wife had undisclosed assets abroad, an allegation the ruling party denied.

Ballot boxes are out at Loyola College, where votes for six Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies will be counted today.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Elections 2026 | Visuals from the counting centre set up at Loyola College, where votes for several key Assembly constituencies will be counted today.
According to officials, counting at Loyola College covers the following constituencies:
Thousand Lights… pic.twitter.com/ZszSZtY6E8

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Suvendhu Adhikari came to be seen as the second-most powerful person in the Trinamool Congress, but found his power diminishing as the stature of Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, grew within the party. He also had differences with political strategist Prashant Kishor, who began working with the party after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and slowly began gaining influence.

The Trinamool Congress made several attempts to placate Adhikari when he started making his displeasure clear, and things came to a head in November 2020, when he quit as the minister for transport and irrigation. He left the party soon after, and joined the BJP in December 2020, just months before the Assembly elections the following year.

Following in his father's footsteps, Suvendu Adhikari began his political journey with the Congress and was elected as a councillor in the Kanthi municipality of East Midnapore. He joined Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in 1998 and entered the Bengal assembly as an MLA from the Kanthi Dakshin constituency in 2006.

A year later, in 2007, Adhikari made a name for himself and emerged as Banerjee's chief organiser when he spearheaded the Nandigram agitation alongside the Trinamool Congress chief. Violence had broken out in the area, also part of the East Midnapore district, during protests against the Left Front-led government's plan to create a chemical hub run by the Salim Group of Indonesia. The hub was part of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which would require the acquisition of 10,000 acres of land.

Adhikari led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (Committee Against Land Evictions), which was at the forefront of the agitation. On March 14, 2007, an attempt to break up the protests led to 14 demonstrators dying in police firing, which sparked outrage across the state. The project was shelved soon after. 

The Nandigram controversy and the protests against the Tata Motors plant in Singur in the neighbouring Hooghly district catapulted the Trinamool Congress to power in the 2011 Bengal Assembly elections, ending the Left Front's 34-year rule in the state. 

Standing in the political field this time are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is contesting from his traditional stronghold Jalukbari and is hoping for a hat-trick. Having earlier served as a Lok Sabha MP, State Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi hopes to make his electoral debut in state polls by winning from Jorhat.

AIUDF Chief and perfume tycoon Badruddin Ajmal, who lost his long-held Dhubri Lok Sabha seat in 2024, is returning to state-level politics with a contest in Binnakandi. Raijor Dal Chief and MP Akhil Gogoi is looking to retain Sibsagar, while Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary hopes to see victory in Tamulpur.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of counting of votes for Keralam Elections 2026, BJP candidate from Kazahakootam, V Muraleedharan says, "In the elections to the Kerala Assembly, BJP presented before the people the need for a change and presenting the 12 years of PM Narendra… pic.twitter.com/7hskNLXaCI

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited the Karunanidhi memorial last night - ahead of the counting of votes. Ministers Sekar Babu and A Raja accompanied him.

#ResultsWithNDTV | TVK chief Vijay - Will he prove to be the 'surprise' factor in Tamil Nadu polls?
NDTV's @dpkBopanna reports from outside the actor-turned-politician's residence pic.twitter.com/4eBSNfJgpJ

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

In a post late at night, hours before the counting of votes is set to begin in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged party workers to "be vigilant. Keep watch." Banerjee also asked Trinamool Congress workers to stay awake and night and file complaints.

সতর্ক থাকুন। পাহারা দিন। রাত জাগুন। অভিযোগ করুন।
বিভিন্ন জায়গা থেকে খবর পাচ্ছি, পরিকল্পিতভাবে লোডশেডিং করে দেওয়া হচ্ছে। হুগলির শ্রীরামপুর, নদীয়ার কৃষ্ণনগর থেকে বর্ধমানের আউশগ্রাম, কলকাতার ক্ষুদিরাম অনুশীলন কেন্দ্রে এরকম ঘটনা সামনে এসেছে যেখানে দফায় দফায় লোডশেডিং করা হচ্ছে,…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 3, 2026

BJP counting agents and Trinamool Congress workers clash in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in Kolkata.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A verbal argument broke out between the counting agents of TMC and BJP outside the counter centre at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur assembly constituency.
Counting of votes for 293 Assembly constituencies of the state will begin at 8 AM… pic.twitter.com/cvJOrqHC6i

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is contesting from Dharmadam in Kannur district, aiming to win this seat for the third time in a row. This is his seventh time contesting in the assembly elections. Earlier, he won from Kuthuparamba three times and from Payyannur once. In Dharmadam, he is facing VP Abdul Rasheed from the UDF and K Ranjith from the BJP.

Following allegations of voter intimidation, unauthorised presence inside booths and possible tampering, the Election Commission ordered a repoll in the Falta Assembly constituency of the South 24 Parganas district.

The repolling will be held on May 21 under stringent security arrangements to ensure a free, fair and transparent exercise, and the counting of votes for the constituency will take place on May 24.

In Falta, TMC's Jahangir Khan is pitted against BJP's Debangshu Panda and Abdur Razzak Molla of the Congress. CPI(M )'s Sambhu Nath Kurmi is also in the fray.

#ResultsWithNDTV | Hours Before Bengal Counting, Poll Body Clarification On VVPAT Slips Recovery - Is It Possible To Tamper With EVMs?@jayanta_ghosal1 @BoriaMajumdar pic.twitter.com/ghCzyCK8Wc

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

August 25, 1975: Resistance against the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government is growing. Jayaprakash Narayan, the face of this resistance, is in Kolkata. The car he is sitting in is on College Street, a hotbed of student politics, when some Youth Congress activists block its way. Suddenly, a young woman in a cotton saree climbs onto the car's bonnet. She raises slogans against the veteran Gandhian. Press photographers spot the enthusiastic 20-year-old and capture the moment, unaware of the political journey that awaits this gutsy woman. The woman's name is Mamata Banerjee, and between that day and this, the street has been her stronghold.

As Bengal gears up for a high-voltage election, many think Mamata Banerjee faces a tough fight this time. Now 71, the Trinamool's founder-chief has been Chief Minister for three terms. Her party faces anti-incumbency and allegations of large-scale corruption. The main opposition, the BJP, is going all-out to turn the tables and the Special Intensive Revision has only added to the uncertainty and confusion. But her political journey is a testament that she is at her most ferocious when she faces a difficult battle.

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The counting of votes in four states and one Union Territory - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry - will begin at 8 am.

Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at the counting centre set up at Loyola College in Chennai, where votes for several key Assembly constituencies will be counted today.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at the counting centre set up at Loyola College in Chennai, where votes for several key Assembly constituencies will be counted today. pic.twitter.com/JEQmLTjLhh

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed deliberate power cuts near strongrooms and called for vigilance.

In a post late last night, Banerjee said she has received reports that "load-shedding is being deliberately imposed. From Hooghly's Serampore, Nadia's Krishnanagar, to Burdwan's Ausgram, and Kolkata's Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, such incidents have come to light where load-shedding is being done in phases, CCTV is being turned off, and vehicles are moving in and out of strong rooms."

She accused the opposition party, the BJP.

🔴#BREAKING | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleges deliberate power cuts near strongrooms, flags tampering fears, seeks vigilance
NDTV's @VedikaS reports more details#ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/AQLwOicmMR

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

In 2016, the Congress's 15-year rule ended in Assam, catapulting the BJP to power for the first time in the northeastern state. The BJP, then led by Sarbananda Sonowal, won the election following a strong campaign focused on issues such as illegal immigration. The BJP won 60 of the 126 seats. The majority mark is 64. The BJP had the support of its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), to form the government, bringing an end to Congress rule.

The BJP contested 89 seats and won 60, with a vote share of about 29.5 per cent. The AGP won 14 seats, and the BPF won 12. Together, the BJP alliance won 86 out of 126 seats.

Sarbananda Sonowal became the first BJP chief minister of Assam.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleges manipulations in strongrooms, urges party workers to stay vigilant.

NDTV's Vedika Sood and Sreyashi Dey share more details from outside the Chief Minister's residence in Kolkata.

#ResultsWithNDTV | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleges manipulations in strongrooms, urges party workers to stay vigilant
NDTV's @VedikaS, @SreyashiDey report more details from outside the Chief Minister's residence in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/9v65GobZWN

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

In the Puducherry assembly elections 2026, there is a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the All India NR Congress and the BJP, and the opposition alliance comprising the Congress and its regional partners. The NDA is hoping for a second term.

However, this year, Puducherry saw the entry of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the electoral contest.

Looking to follow other actors with successful political careers - MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa among them - Vijay has made it clear he will have no truck with the ruling DMK or the Bharatiya Janata Party, whose muscular brand of nationalism has never really gone down well with the Tamil people. One is his political enemy, the other his ideological foe, he has said.

The TVK's first election campaign has been nothing if not dramatic, with the controversy over the Karur stampede and the furore over Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan', reportedly his final movie as he makes the cinema-to-politics jump, grabbing the headlines.

Vijay's verbal sparring with the DMK has also been a feature of this election campaign, underscoring the tension between the king and his nouveau challenger. The actor has been as unsparing in his criticism of the BJP, accusing it of belittling Tamil pride and discriminating against the state with respect to administrative and governance issues.

But he has been more circumspect with the AIADMK for various reasons, likely the biggest of which is that attacking both Dravidian parties risks alienating almost the entire vote bank.

The contest in Puducherry is primarily between two blocs. The NDA is led by the All India NR Congress, which is contesting 16 seats, and has the BJP, with 10 constituencies, and the AIADMK and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (two each) as the other key constituents. The INDIA alliance has the Congress at the helm, contesting 16 seats, while 14 were allotted to the DMK.

The NDA, with All India NR Congress (AINRC) chief N Rangaswamy as chief minister, is in power in the Union Territory, which has not re-elected a government since the Congress in 2006.

N Rangaswamy, who had served as a chief minister under the Congress, quit the party in 2011 and formed his outfit the same year. The AINRC tasted success immediately and won a majority in the 2011 Assembly elections in an alliance with the AIADMK.

Kerala counts today and a change in government is likely to happen, according to most exit polls. But, health warning: exit polls often get it wrong. The verdict on 140 constituencies and 883 candidates begins at 8 am, with counting across 43 locations.

A rough sketch of the likely winner should start taking shape by afternoon. Of the state's 2.71 crore voters, 79.63 per cent had turned out on April 9.

Exit polls gave the Congress-led UDF a narrow but consistent edge with some predicting it winning 80-90 seats, up from 41 it won in 2021. The UDF has been out of power since 2016, and within the alliance discussions over a chief ministerial candidate have already started, in a sign of how confident some in the UDF are feeling.

The ruling LDF faces the counting day without the comfort of clear exit poll forecasts in its favour. Retaining its 2021 tally of 99 seats looks unlikely as the front is internally pegging its expectation at 75-80.

Most exit polls have predicted a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly election, with at least three agencies forecasting Chief Minister MK Stalin's party would get between 122 and 145 seats. Tamil Nadu has 234 assembly seats.

However, Axis My India predicted actor Vijay's TVK in its first election contest would win 98-120 seats. If so, TVK and its chief would play a big role in the results.

One exit poll shows the AIADMK and allies winning with 128-147 seats.

Key parties fighting to lead Tamil Nadu:

Voting in West Bengal was held in two phases this time, with a record 92.47 per cent voter turnout, the highest in the state since Independence. Two days after polling, the Election Commission issued a repoll order for 15 booths following complaints of irregularities. Repolling was conducted in 11 booths in Magarhat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where voting was held on April 29 in the second phase of the assembly elections.

The ruling Trinamool Congress is concerned that the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise had removed 89 lakh voters, or roughly 11.6 per cent of the state's electorate. The figure is slightly more than the winning margin of the Trinamool Congress in 2021.

In 2021, Mamata Banerjee's party had 10 per cent more votes polled - 48 per cent to the BJP's 38 per cent. The SIR impact has pared down the voter list by more than 11.6 per cent in multiple districts where the Trinamool's winning margin is slim, data shows.