Modi claims 'record' BJP win in opposition-held West Bengal

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed a "record" victory Monday in West Bengal state elections, where his Bharatiya Janata Party had never won before.

BJP led or won 204 of 293 seats in the state of over 100 million people, one of five states and territories announcing results the same day.

What did the BJP win in the 2026 West Bengal elections?

BJP won West Bengal's state assembly for the first time in the party's history, leading or winning 204 of 293 seats.

The result hands Modi a significant political boost as he navigates economic pressures and prepares for a general election in 2029.

It also ends 15 years of rule by Mamata Banerjee's regional party.

How did Modi react to the West Bengal result?

Modi posted on social media that the elections "will be remembered forever," crediting the win to decades of work by party workers.

The Lotus blooms in West Bengal!

The 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections will be remembered forever. People's power has prevailed and BJP's politics of good governance has triumphed. I bow to each and every person of West Bengal.

The people have given a spectacular mandate to… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2026

"People's power has prevailed and BJP's politics of good governance has triumphed," he said. Senior BJP leaders and thousands of supporters took to the streets of Kolkata to celebrate.

BJP waged an aggressive campaign to unseat Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, which has governed West Bengal since 2011. The campaign was also marked by controversy, with protests over the removal of millions of names from voter rolls. Critics argued the deletions disproportionately affected marginalized and minority communities, though authorities said the exercise removed ineligible voters.

Scuffles broke out outside several counting centers, and police used batons to control crowds. Past elections in the state have resulted in violence.

What happened in the Tamil Nadu election results?

Tamil Nadu delivered the day's biggest shock. Veteran Chief Minister MK Stalin, 73, lost his own Kolathur seat to a candidate from the TVK party, floated by actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay. Stalin's ruling DMK came a distant second statewide, defying most exit polls that had predicted a DMK return to power.

Vijay, 51, launched TVK in 2024 on a platform of youth employment and good governance. Political scientist Ramu Manivanan told AFP that the result reflected more than anti-incumbency. "This result shows that the youth want a new face," Manivanan said, adding that Vijay's large female fan base as a cinema star also shaped the outcome.

How did Kerala and other states vote?

In Kerala, the Congress-led alliance ousted the ruling Communist government, winning 63 of 97 seats. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi credited party workers for a "hard-fought, well-run campaign" and thanked Kerala voters for a "truly decisive mandate."

BJP secured victories in two other contests. The party retained Assam for a third consecutive time, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma celebrating a "hat-trick" in the state of over 31 million people. BJP also held its position in the small coastal territory of Puducherry as part of the ruling coalition there.

The results collectively strengthen Modi's national position as his government manages high unemployment, an unresolved US trade deal and the broader pressures of a shifting foreign policy landscape ahead of the 2029 general election.