As the counting of votes for the Assembly elections neared an end in four states –West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala– and Puducherry, the emerging trends showed shocking results.

In West Bengal, where the Assembly polls were held under the shadow of the Election Commission’s controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the BJP delivered a historic win with nearly 200 seats.

The ruling TMC, which won 215 of the 294 seats in 2021, was reduced to a mere 88 seats.

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) delivered a shocker, emerging with over 100 seats and rewriting the state’s historical political trends, which have always identified itself with the Dravidian politics.

Chief Minister M K Stalin, who led the DMK alliance was defeated in his bastion Kolathur, while the party managed to win just three seats, while they are leading in 55 seats.

Vijay was ahead in both Perambur and Tiruchy East constituencies, while AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami was leading in Edappadi.

In Assam, the ruling BJP-led NDA has retained power, winning six seats and leading in 94 seats.

The BJP has won in five seats and is leading in 76 seats, while its allies –the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF)– are leading in 18 seats. The Congress was leading in 20 seats and its ally Raijor Dal in one, while the AIUDF was ahead in two seats.

In Kerala, the UDF made a historic comeback after two consecutive years out of power, with over 100 seats, a straight jump from 41 in the previous Assembly elections. The LDF suffered a major setback with several of the ministers losing their seats and the CPI(M) being defeated in its traditional bastions.

Meanwhile, the BJP opened their account in Kerala, winning three highly contested seats.