"BJP Lead Not By Chance, It's People's Choice": Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

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 190 seats as of 12.45 pm, compared to the ruling Trinamool Congress' 99. 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

Calling the electorate the head of a democracy, Naqvi said that the voters have the power to make anyone the winner. Speaking about the BJP's victories since 2014, the former Union Minister stated, “The BJP's lead is not by chance, it is by people's choice.

Taking on allegations of disenfranchisement of a section of the population due to SIR, Naqvi countered that the claims were false and stated that the BJP's mission of development was inclusive and did not discriminate against any section of society.

Naqvi On TMC And Mamata Banerjee

The BJP leader explained that the party had formed a government for the first time in over 17 states post 2013 due to its promise of development and good governance. “Over 70 per cent of states have given their mandate in favour of the BJP,” Naqvi said. He believed that the party would continue to get good results in states it had performed well in.

Speaking on the popularity of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee vis-à-vis her party, Naqvi said that it was impossible to separate the leader from the party. “Jo jeeta woh sikandar aur jo haara woh dhurandhar,” he quipped.

When asked about a prediction that eight per cent of Muslims voting in West Bengal had voted for the BJP, Naqvi explained that the community was choosing to favour the party due to their agenda of development.

Assembly Election Results 2026

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK has a lead in 106 seats out of 234. The ruling DMK alliance is ahead on 57 seats and the AIADMK on 70. In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF is set to come to power, with the alliance ahead on 85 seats as of now. In Assam, the BJP is leading in 97 of the 126 seats as of noon. In Puducherry, the NRC+ alliance is ahead on 15 seats.