Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
The results of the assembly elections in five Indian states were declared on Monday, bringing sweeping political changes across the country. Governments changed in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, while the NDA retained power in Assam and Puducherry.
In a historic victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party defeated the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal to form its first-ever government in the state. The BJP’s rise has been remarkable, jumping from just 3 seats a decade ago to 206 seats out of 293, achieving a strike rate of nearly 70%. The TMC was reduced to 81 seats with a strike rate of around 27.6%.
In Tamil Nadu, actor Thalapathy Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), delivered a stunning performance by winning the highest number of seats. For the first time in 59 years, the state is set to have a government not led by either the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). In a major setback, Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and M. K. Stalin lost their respective elections.
In Assam, out of 126 seats, the BJP contested 89 and won 82, registering the highest strike rate of 92.1%. The Indian National Congress contested 99 seats but managed to win only 19, with a strike rate of 21%.
In Kerala, the Congress emerged as the top performer, winning 63 out of 114 seats with a strike rate of 55.2%. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) secured 26 out of 76 seats (34.2%), while the BJP lagged behind, winning just 3 out of 94 seats with a 3.1% strike rate.
In Puducherry, the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) dominated by winning 12 out of 16 seats it contested, achieving a 75% strike rate. The BJP secured second place with 4 wins out of 10 seats (40%), while Congress managed just 1 win out of 16 seats, recording a low strike rate of 6%.
