Scripting history, the BJP on Thursday stormed to power in Assam bagging a government in the north east for the first time dethroning Congress which also lost Kerala while Ms. Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee retained power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal with spectacular victories.
The Congress could take solace only in Puducherry where it managed to get a simple majority along with DMK to wrest power from AINRC headed by N Rangaswami, a former Congressman.
The results of the assembly elections saw the end of Congress rule in Assam where it had scored a hat-trick in the last elections under Mr. Tarun Gogoi.
Assam Assembly elections
Assam voted for change with Congress, which had been in power for the last 15 years, being routed by the BJP-led alliance leading in 80 out of 126 seats.
Marking a new surge, BJP, which had five seats in the last elections, was leading on its own in 56 seats now. Its allies AGP and Bodo People’s Front were ahead in 15 and 12 constituencies. The Congress, which had bagged 78 seats in the last elections, was struggling by leading only in 27 seats.
AIUDF, led by Badruddin Ajmal, was leading in 9 seats while Independents were ahead in 6 constituencies.
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Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
The major surprise in the Assembly elections was a strong show by AIADMK, which several exit polls had projected to lose.
Bucking tradition, the Jayalalithaa—led party was well on way to retaining power for a second term in a state which had not returned a ruling party to power since 1989. But it was also not a washout for the opposition DMK, which put up a reasonably good show by leading in 87 seats as against AIADMK’s 130 in a house of 234. AIADMK has won one seat.
The Congress was ahead in 10 seats and IUML, a DMK ally, PMK and PT were leading in one seat each. The third front of parties headed by Vijaykant’s DMDK has failed with even the actor himself trailing in his seat.
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West Bengal Assembly elections
Ruling Trinamool Congress, headed by Mamata Banerjee, has put up an impressive show in West Bengal by bettering its tally over the last elections. The party, which had won 184 seats in 2011 in alliance with Congress, was today victorious in 9 seats and ahead in 205 seats.
The Left-Congress alliance was not able to make much impact. Among the Left front constituents, the CPI(M) was leading in 25 seats, the CPI in one, Forward Block in two and RSP in one. The Congress has won one seat and was ahead in 42.
In the last elections, CPI(M) had bagged 40 and Congress 42.
BJP was ahead in 4 while Gorkha Janmukti Morcha was leading in three seats and an Independent in one.
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Kerala Assembly elections
Kerala kept with its tradition of voting a government out with the Left Democratic Front winning 46 seats and leading in 36 in the 140—member house. Congress-led UDF had won 21 and was leading in 26 seats. The BJP is likely to open its account with its veteran leader O Rajagopal leading in Nemom.
Unlike last time when the two coalitions were divided by just four seats, this time the margin is likely to be much more.
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Puducherry Assembly elections
Opinion and exit polls had suggested a tight race between the ruling AINRC led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and the Congress led by A. Namassivayam, a relative of Mr. Rangasamy. But Puducherry too snubbed these polls in its own way by giving a clear mandate to Congress.
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