By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
BJP was all set to grab power for the first time in West Bengal and retained it in Assam but superstar Vijay’s TVK emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu which appeared to be heading for a hung assembly.
As the counting of votes for the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala began this morning, latest trends in the four crucial states showed except Assam, the people voted for change in other three states.
In West Bengal, the long-standing dominance of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) was waning with the BJP making significant inroads and leading in more than 190 seats. TMC was hovering around 100 seats as the counting of votes was continuing in the afternoon.
In Tamil Nadu, a dramatic shift was visible with superstar Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as a powerful new player, disrupting the traditional DMK–AIADMK bipolar politics. Though TVK was leading in 109 seats, the trends indicated that results might throw a hung assembly. Proving the exit polls wrong, DMK which was leading in 58 seats was in second position with AIADMK being in third position (leading in 52 seats).
The BJP was strengthening its position in Assam where it was heading to retain power with a landslide victory riding the crest of a wave of the growing popularity of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Kerala, traditionally known for alternating power change between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), is witnessing a total rejection of the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (CPI-M) this time.
Experts said the elections also demonstrated the growing importance of new voters and changing campaign styles. A large number of first-time voters and increased use of digital campaigning have influenced electoral strategies. “Political parties are focusing more on social media outreach, targeted messaging, and personality-driven campaigns rather than traditional mass mobilization,” said a journalist.