The Election Commission said the BJP had won at least 124 seats in the 294-member state assembly and was leading in 83 others, placing it on course to form the government. The TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had held power in the eastern state since 2011 and had been one of the BJP’s most resilient regional opponents.

The outcome represents a major expansion for the BJP into a politically influential state where it has historically struggled to gain a foothold.

Addressing party supporters in New Delhi, Modi said the result marked “a new chapter” for West Bengal, pointing to what he described as the party’s growing appeal across regions.Opposition parties, however, criticized the conduct of the election, alleging irregularities after millions of voters were removed from electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has not publicly detailed the basis for the removals in the data provided.Banerjee’s defeat is expected to weaken her position within India’s fragmented opposition, where she had emerged as a key figure attempting to unify regional parties against the BJP.

Her loss underscores the broader challenges faced by opposition groups in mounting a coordinated national challenge to Modi’s party.The West Bengal result comes amid a broader cycle of state elections across India. Governments were also unseated in two other states, while the BJP retained power in Assam for a third consecutive term.

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay led his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party to victory over the incumbent DMK government, while in Kerala, the Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist administration.

The BJP’s gains in West Bengal are likely to bolster Modi’s political standing midway through his third term, particularly after the 2024 national election forced the party to rely on regional allies to form a government.

Analysts say the expansion into new regional strongholds could strengthen the party’s position ahead of the next general election scheduled for 2029.India, with more than 1.4 billion people, conducts elections across its 28 states and eight federal territories in staggered cycles, making state-level outcomes a critical indicator of national political momentum.

Polling in five states and territories concluded over April and May, and early attention has focused on West Bengal, where the BJP mounted an intensive campaign to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress, which has governed the state since 2011.

Exit polls released last week suggested a narrow edge for the BJP over the TMC, though such projections have historically proven unreliable in India. Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said the outcome in West Bengal could have wider national implications, describing the contest as one that could “tilt the balance of power.”

The campaign was marked by controversy over the removal of millions of names from electoral rolls, a move authorities described as targeting ineligible voters but which critics argued disproportionately affected marginalized and minority communities.

Banerjee expressed confidence ahead of the count, dismissing the BJP’s chances and urging supporters to remain patient. In contrast, West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the election reflected public demand for change and predicted a defeat for the ruling party.

Elsewhere, in Tamil Nadu, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin is widely expected to retain power. In Assam, the BJP is projected to maintain control, while in Puducherry, the party remains part of the governing coalition.In Kerala, exit polls indicate a closely contested race, with the Congress-led alliance seen as having an advantage over the incumbent Communist government.

The results are being closely watched as a gauge of Modi’s political standing amid ongoing economic and foreign policy challenges, including high unemployment and negotiations over a trade agreement with the United States.

Voting took place throughout April in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry, with attention centered on whether the BJP could expand its footprint in major opposition-held regions ahead of future national political contests.

Exit polls, while often used as early indicators in India, have a mixed record and final outcomes can differ significantly from projections.The most closely watched contest is in West Bengal, where the BJP mounted an aggressive campaign to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has governed the state since 2011.

Several exit polls suggested the BJP held a narrow advantage over the TMC, raising the possibility that Modi’s party could take power in the state of more than 100 million people for the first time.Banerjee’s TMC won 213 of the 294 seats in the 2021 assembly election, and the state has a history of electoral violence and intense political rivalry.

This year’s campaign was also marked by controversy over a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, a process authorities said was intended to remove ineligible voters, but which critics argued disproportionately affected marginalized and minority communities.

Political activist Yogendra Yadav said there was “no way” the TMC would lose in what he described as a fair election, alleging that the BJP could only prevail through manipulation of voter lists or counting irregularities.The BJP has denied opposition allegations of electoral malpractice.

In Assam and Puducherry, the BJP-led alliance was widely projected to retain power, reinforcing the party’s hold in regions where it already governs.In Tamil Nadu, one of India’s largest industrial states, exit polls indicated the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin was likely to remain in office.

The polls also suggested actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, leading the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, could emerge as a significant new challenger to the state’s established political parties.In Kerala, India’s only communist-ruled state, projections indicated a closely fought contest, with a Congress-led alliance expected to challenge the ruling Left Democratic Front.

Strong results for the BJP in the state elections would strengthen Modi’s political position as his government navigates economic pressures including high unemployment and negotiations over a pending trade deal with the United States.