Modi's BJP Wins Majority in West Bengal Assembly Elections

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is poised to take control of the eastern state of West Bengal after the Election Commission of India released partial results on May 4, 2026, showing the BJP had secured at least 124 seats in the 294-member assembly while leading in 83 others.

According to the Associated Press, the outcome would mark the first time the party has governed the state, which had been held by the All India Trinamool Congress under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee since 2011. The BJP had targeted West Bengal for years to expand its reach beyond its traditional northern base.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed supporters at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on May 4, 2026, waving amid confetti and cheers. He described the win as evidence of the party’s growing appeal in a state where it had historically struggled and linked the victory to broader national trends. “A new chapter has been added to Bengal’s destiny,” Modi said.

In the northeastern state of Assam, the BJP retained power for a third consecutive term. Party workers in Guwahati gathered to mark early leads, displaying victory signs as results came in on May 4. Candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah was among those celebrating victories.

Elections in additional states produced shifts in power. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, launched two years ago, ousted the ruling DMK party. Vijay’s supporters in Chennai displayed his photographs during celebrations on May 4, 2026.

In Kerala, the Indian National Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist government.

These staggered state elections occur annually across India’s 28 states and eight federal territories. Partial results were announced on May 4, 2026, with the Election Commission providing updates throughout the day. India-wide, state governments were ousted in two other regions during the April polls, while the BJP held onto Assam.