Assembly Election 2026 Results: Rahul congratulates Vijay, Cong bags 2 seats in Bengal

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As the final rounds of counting draw to a close in the 2026 Assembly elections across West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the political picture is sharpening — and it’s anything but predictable. The BJP has consolidated its dominance in Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, while a resurgent Congress-led UDF is back in power in Kerala.

The biggest shake-up has come from Tamil Nadu, where actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK has disrupted the traditional DMK–AIADMK duopoly, emerging as a serious contender and turning the contest into a three-way battle. At the same time, West Bengal is witnessing a dramatic shift, with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC conceding ground to a surging BJP.

In Assam and Puducherry, the trends point towards continuity, with the BJP and its allies maintaining a strong edge. But taken together, these results reflect something larger — a changing electoral landscape where established equations are being tested, and new political forces are beginning to reshape the field.

TVK chief Vijay on Monday won from Perambur constituency by defeating his DMK rival R.D. Shekar in the Assembly elections held on 23 April. He later received his certificate at Loyola College counting centre.

The Congress on Monday won the Farakka and Raninagar constituencies, after not winning a single seat in the 2021 Assembly election.

Motab Shaikh, whose name was initially not in the electoral rolls and was included by a tribunal set up by the Supreme Court to look into the deletions, defeated his nearest BJP rival by 8,193 votes, while the TMC candidate came third in the Murshidabad district constituency.

Shaikh secured 63,050 votes, while BJP's Sunil Chowdhuri got 54,857 votes and TMC's Amirul Islam got 47,256 votes, according to Election Commission data. Congress candidate Julfikar Ali won the Raninagar seat by 2,701 votes over TMC's Soumik Hossain after a neck-to-neck fight.

Ali got 79,423 votes, while Hossain was the runner-up with 76,722 votes, according to ECI data. The CPI(M) came in third, and the BJP was in fourth place, it said.

The CPI(M) on Monday described the latest round of Assembly election results as a "serious setback" for the Left, particularly in Kerala, while warning that the growing footprint of the BJP across states poses a wider challenge to secular politics and the Opposition INDIA bloc.

The party said the results in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry reflect the "ascendancy of right-wing communal forces led by the BJP," which it termed "a matter of deep concern for all secular, progressive and democratic forces."

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Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin was trailing in Kolathur Assembly constituency in Chennai with TVK candidate V.S. Babu taking a strong lead. According to Election Commission data, Babu got 82,997 votes at the end of round 22, and Stalin received 74,202 votes.

Congress issues statement saying Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has spoken to outgoing West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin over their parties’ performances in the Assembly elections, and congratulated Vijay over TVK’s win in Tamil Nadu, PTI reports.

Outgoing West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is leading in the Bhabanipur constituency seat by 5,349 votes in the 13th round of vote counting as of 5.00 pm on Monday. There will be a total of 20 rounds of counting. Her opponent is BJP candidate and potential Bengal CM face, Suvendu Adhikari.

The BJP won 12 seats and was leading in 188 seats, while the TMC bagged six as the counting of votes in West Bengal assembly polls progressed on Monday, indicating a saffron surge in the state.

According to Election Commission data, the BJP secured victory in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Monteswar, Bhatar, Medinipur and Asansol Dakshin seats. The saffron party also bagged Burwan, Khardaha, Jagatballavpur, Ranibadh, Nakashipara and Jamuria.

With the Congress-led UDF bagging a major win in the Kerala polls, Congress general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has thanked the people of the state for their support and vowed to work diligently towards building a better future for them.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "To all my brothers and sisters in Keralam, thank you for your faith and for your overwhelming support. The trust you have placed in us will be the UDF’s guiding force as we work hard towards building a better future for each one of you."

"I sincerely hope that our gratitude to you will be evident each day of the next five years as we strive to fulfil our commitments to you with honesty and humility," she added.

The ruling BJP won 11 seats and was ahead in 71 other constituencies, while its ally, the Bodoland People's Front, bagged one seat and was leading in nine, according to the Election Commission. The Congress was ahead in 19 seats, while BJP's ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was leading in nine constituencies.

The Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF won one seat and was leading in another constituency, while Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal was ahead in two seats. The Trinamool Congress was ahead in one seat, while an Independent candidate was also leading.

Minister Pijush Hazarika bagged Jagiroad constituency, for the fourth consecutive term, by a margin of 93,584 votes over his nearest rival Bubul Das of the Congress. Minister Ranoj Pegu won the Dhemaji seat by over 32,229 votes, while BJP veteran Hitendranath Goswami defeated state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat seat by 23,182 seats.

Cabinet minister and BPF leader Charan Boro retained his Mazbat constituency, defeating the nearest JMM rival by over 55,000 votes. BJP candidate Bhuban Gam won Majuli seat by 35,300 votes, registering his second consecutive victory from the constituency. He defeated Congress' Indraneel Pegu, who polled 43,024 votes.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has established a formidable lead of 73,750 votes over his nearest rival Bidisha Neog of the Congress in Jalukbari constituency.

Union minister George Kurian has finished third in Kanjirappally constituency. The minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying and minority affairs was fielded by the BJP considering the sizeable Christian population in the constituency.

When votes up to the 15th of the 16 counting rounds were tallied, Kurian was in third place, trailing Congress candidate Rony K Baby by 29,585 votes.

Actor-politician Vijay's TVK was leading in 107 Assembly segments and was in second place in 55 segments as counting proceeded across the state. According to Election Commission figures at 2.35 pm, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was trailing by a margin of less than 1,000 votes in six constituencies.

Tamil Nadu: DMK (1)

Puducherry: AINRC (9), BJP (2), Congress (1), AIDMK (1), DMK (1), Independent (1)

Kerala: Congress (14), CPI-M (7), IUML (2), CPI (2), Kerala Congress (2)

Assam: BJP (3), BPF (1)

Ecstatic BJP workers erupted in celebrations in parts of West Bengal as the party was leading in the state assembly polls.

The party workers, holding photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raised 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans and hailed leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, while exchanging sweets among themselves and offering those to passersby as well outside the party's state headquarters in Kolkata.

Similar scenes were witnessed in South 24 Parganas' Kakdwip, a former TMC stronghold, and North 24 Parganas' Bongaon, which has a sizeable Matua population, as BJP supporters smeared one another with 'aabir' (gulaal) and danced to the party campaign song of 'Paltano Darkar, Ebar BJP sarkar' (we need to change and bring BJP to power).

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has lost to BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami by 23,182 votes in Jorhat, as per ECI.

Actor-politician Vijay’s TVK (Tamil Vettri Kazagam) has crossed the 100-seats mark, racing past incumbent DMK and AIADMK. Counting for 234 Assembly seats is still underway, and it remains to be seen whether the new entrant will record history in the southern state, which has been helmed by the two-party system so far. 

After surging past the majority mark in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF has called the victory a “clear verdict” against the LDF for their “anti-people activities and policies.” “Thankful to the Kerala people for giving us a thumping victory in the Legislative Assembly election. This is a repetition of what has happened in the local body. This is a clear verdict against the LDF for their anti-people activities and policies,” Joseph said.

As the BJP surged past the 146-seat majority mark in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has urged candidates to wait until the end of the counting. “Do not be disheartened by the results. The Election Commission is holding the results of the places (booths/constituencies) where Trinamool Congress is winning…. You (the TMC candidates) will win after sunset,” she said, requesting candidates and counting agents to not leave counting centres.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has stepped in directly over the delay in counting, accusing the Election Commission of India of selectively holding back official results from constituencies where the TMC is ahead. This marks her most direct intervention in the counting process since the morning.

Her remarks echo earlier concerns raised by finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose, both of whom had questioned the speed and completeness of data being released. What began as a party-level criticism has now escalated to the chief minister’s office.

The ECI has not responded to the specific charge. Its official portal currently reflects trends from 267 of the 293 seats, with 26 constituencies yet to be formally updated. Some of these seats, if located in TMC strongholds, could explain the discrepancy Banerjee has pointed to.

Central forces personnel carried out a lathi-charge in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, after a clash erupted between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers near the constituency. The incident marks the second bout of counting-day violence reported within the past hour, following vandalism at the Asansol Engineering College counting centre.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is leading in all five constituencies of Idukki district in Kerala, according to early counting trends.

In a key contest, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine is trailing by 1,197 votes, while UDF candidate Roy K Paulose has secured 4,212 votes in the initial rounds.

Across the district, UDF candidates are ahead: Senapathy Venu is leading by 3,228 votes in Udumbanchola, Appu John Joseph by 2,970 votes in Thodupuzha, F. Raja by 978 votes in Devikulam, and Cyriac Thomas by 3,184 votes in Peerumedu.

Early trends from Kerala indicate a strong performance by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is now leading in 98 of the 140 Assembly seats.

As results continue to come in from across West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Kerala stands out with the UDF establishing a commanding edge in the latest trends.

Gaurav Gogoi of the Indian National Congress has raised concerns over the pace of counting in the Titabor Assembly constituency in Assam.

“We are seeing that the counting in Titabor Assembly constituency is going very slowly. We have conveyed this concern to officials,” he said, adding that fluctuations in leads across rounds are natural. “There will be ups and downs in each round; we should wait until the final results are out,” Gogoi said.

Scenes of celebration are emerging at the Congress office in Thiruvananthapuram as early trends from Kerala show the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) surging ahead.

Senior leaders, including K. C. Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph and Shashi Tharoor, were seen celebrating at the party office as the alliance leads in around 85 of the 140 seats. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is trailing in about 50 seats.

With counting under way across the State, the upbeat mood among Congress workers reflects growing confidence in a potential victory for the UDF.

C. Joseph Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, has extended his lead in the Tiruchi East constituency in Tamil Nadu. At the end of Round 2, Vijay is ahead by 3,299 votes over his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam rival Inigo Irudhayaraj, as counting continues.

Mamata Banerjee is leading from the Bhawanipur constituency in early trends in West Bengal, with the seat emerging as one of the most closely watched in the State.

Early trends from Kerala point to a strong showing by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), raising the prospect of a political comeback in the State.

About 90 minutes into counting, the UDF is leading in 89 of the 140 seats, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is ahead in 44. The BJP-led NDA is leading in five constituencies, according to early trends from 139 seats.

The UDF has retained its edge in traditional strongholds such as Ernakulam and Malappuram, while also making inroads into seats currently held by the LDF in regions including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kozhikode and Palakkad.

Early trends from Tamil Nadu show the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leading in 28 seats, followed closely by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam with 26 seats, according to data from the Election Commission of India.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is currently ahead in 12 constituencies, as counting continues and trends begin to firm up.

Sunny Joseph, chief of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, on Monday expressed confidence that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will secure a decisive mandate in Kerala.

With the UDF leading in early trends after the first hour of counting, Joseph said the numbers indicate a clear shift in the alliance’s favour and predicted that it would go on to cross the 100-seat mark in the 140-member Assembly.

Early trends from Assam show the Indian National Congress leading in Mandia, Pakabetbari and Mangaldai as counting gathers pace.

About 90 minutes into the process, data from the Election Commission of India indicates that leads have been established in 38 of the State’s 126 constituencies. Congress is currently ahead in three of these seats, all located in Lower and Central Assam.

While still early in the day, the trends underline the challenge before the party, which is aiming for a comeback after a decade out of power and has been trying to regain ground in Upper Assam, where its presence in the Assembly has declined sharply in recent years.

Gaurav Gogoi of the Indian National Congress said the party will closely monitor the counting process across Assam as early trends begin to emerge. “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,” he said. Gogoi, who is contesting from Jorhat, is currently trailing BJP’s Hitendra Nath Goswami, according to early data from the Election Commission of India.

Hours before counting began for the two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal on Monday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee issued a late-night message urging Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers to remain vigilant through the process.

In a social media post after 1 am, she called for heightened alertness, saying, “Stay alert. Be on guard. Stay awake at night. Register complaints.”

Banerjee alleged that her party had received reports of “planned” power cuts in several parts of the state, raising concerns over the security of strong rooms where EVMs are stored. She cited incidents from Sreerampore in Hooghly, Krishnanagar in Nadia, Aushgram in Purba Bardhaman, and the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata, claiming that load-shedding was being carried out in phases.

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Ramesh Chennithala of the Indian National Congress is leading in the Haripad constituency in Kerala as the first round of counting progresses.

According to figures from the Election Commission of India at 9.20 am, Chennithala has polled 4,765 votes, ahead of T. T. Jismon of the Communist Party of India, who has secured 3,235 votes. BJP candidate Sandeep Vachaspathi is trailing with 1,899 votes.

Akhil Gogoi, president of the Raijor Dal and candidate from Sivasagar, expressed confidence that the Opposition alliance will secure a majority in Assam.

“I would like to hope that the Opposition parties will form the government. With 70-plus seats, we will form the government, and we will own the game,” he said.

Gogoi is contesting from Sivasagar, a seat he won in the previous Assembly elections while in prison during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The Opposition alliance comprises six parties, including the Indian National Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All Party Hill Leaders Conference and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.

Gaurav Gogoi of the Indian National Congress is leading in the Jorhat Assembly constituency in Assam, according to early trends. He is up against BJP veteran and sitting MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami.

A three-time MP and currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi was appointed president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in 2025. He had also secured a win from the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general election, defeating BJP’s Topon Kumar Gogoi.

In the initial trends, there is a fluctuating contest in Bengal. The BJP is leading in 85 seats, while the Trinamool Congress is ahead in 72 seats.

Initial trends from Kerala show the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) taking an early lead as counting begins. According to early figures, put out by PTI the UDF is ahead in over 60 seats, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is leading in more than 50 constituencies.

These early trends are based on postal ballots, which account for about 1.36 per cent of the total votes polled, and are expected to shift as EVM counting gathers pace.

Tension briefly prevailed at a strongroom at the Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kalamassery after the key to the facility storing EVMs for the constituency went missing during the initial stages of counting on Monday morning.

The Hindu reported that With officials unable to locate the key, the strongroom was eventually broken open around 8.30 am to allow the process to continue. “Everything is going smoothly now,” an official said, indicating that counting had resumed without further disruption.

Kalamassery remains a closely watched seat in Kerala, with P. Rajeeve of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) seeking re-election against UDF candidate V E Abdul Gafoor and NDA’s M. P. Binu.

Congress candidate from Demow, Ajoy Kumar Gogoi, on Monday expressed optimism ahead of the results, saying he expects the verdict to reflect the aspirations of both voters and party workers.

“We hope the results will be in line with what the public and the party workers wanted. We hope a Congress government will be formed,” he said, voicing confidence in the party’s chances in Assam.

As the final rounds of counting draw to a close in the 2026 Assembly elections across West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the political picture is sharpening — and it’s anything but predictable. The BJP has consolidated its dominance in Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, while a resurgent Congress-led UDF is back in power in Kerala.

The biggest shake-up has come from Tamil Nadu, where actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK has disrupted the traditional DMK–AIADMK duopoly, emerging as a serious contender and turning the contest into a three-way battle. At the same time, West Bengal is witnessing a dramatic shift, with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC conceding ground to a surging BJP.

In Assam and Puducherry, the trends point towards continuity, with the BJP and its allies maintaining a strong edge. But taken together, these results reflect something larger — a changing electoral landscape where established equations are being tested, and new political forces are beginning to reshape the field.