Assembly elections 2026 infographs: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry

The chart shows a clear long-term shift from relative income strength to sustained underperformance.
Both nominal and real NSDP ratios indicate Bengal’s gradual divergence from the national growth trajectory.

West Bengal’s agricultural worker prices have largely stayed close to the national average over time.
However, industrial worker prices show a steady decline relative to India, indicating a widening sectoral gap in cost trends.

Ahead of the Puducherry assembly polls 2026, the long-running clash between V Narayanasamy and former LG Kiran Bedi remains a defining political flashpoint. Appointed in May 2016, Bedi quickly locked horns with Narayanasamy over administrative powers, refusing to act as a “rubber stamp”. By 2017, the CM publicly accused her of overstepping constitutional limits and obstructing governance. Disputes escalated over welfare schemes, funding, and bureaucratic control, with both sides citing constitutional provisions. The standoff continued until Bedi’s eventual removal, marking one of Puducherry’s most high-profile Centre–state confrontations.

The 2026 West Bengal election is a high-stakes rematch between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated her in Nandigram in 2021 by just over 1,900 votes. Banerjee contests from Bhabanipur banking on welfare schemes, while Adhikari doubles down on corruption charges and BJP’s Rs 3,000 monthly aid pitch to women.

A comparison of election victory margins across various constituencies in 2016 and 2021 reveals notable trends. Several constituencies saw significant increases, with Perambur rising from 519 to 54,976 votes and Avadi from 1,395 to 55,275 votes. In 2021, Kolathur recorded the highest victory margin at 70,384 votes. However, a few areas, including T Nagar, Mylapore, and Velachery, experienced a decrease in their winning margins compared to 2016.

In 2021, the DMK alliance secured a majority with 133 seats and a 37.7% vote share, while the AIADMK alliance won 66 seats with a 33.3% vote share. In contrast, the 2016 elections saw the AIADMK alliance in power with 135 seats and a 40.8% vote share, while the DMK alliance managed 88 seats with a 31.6% vote share. The 2021 results thus marked a reversal from 2016, with the DMK alliance making significant gains to form the government.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the All India Trinamool Congress secured a dominant victory by winning 215 out of the total 294 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats, marking a significant rise from its previous performance, while other parties together won 2 seats.

The welfare push by the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 polls includes several flagship schemes and new announcements. Key programmes include Lakshmir Bhandar for financial assistance to women, Swasthya Sathi for health insurance coverage, and Kanyashree Prakalpa aimed at supporting girls’ education. A new initiative, Banglar Yuva Sathi, was launched in 2026 to provide a monthly allowance to educated youth. Additionally, the government announced the clearance of Rs 10,000 crore in dearness allowance arrears for staff and increased honorariums for specific religious workers.

Assam’s development indicators show a mixed but improving trajectory when compared to the national average. The state’s share in GDP has more than doubled over time, and its fertility rate has now aligned with the national average. Although per capita income remains about 25% lower than India’s, the gap has narrowed significantly in recent years. Life expectancy in Assam is still around two years below the national average. At the same time, the state records higher multidimensional poverty levels at 14.5% compared to 11.3% nationally, along with lower labour force participation rates than the rest of India.

In the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections, the Left Democratic Front won 99 seats in 2021, maintaining a majority out of the 140 total seats, while the United Democratic Front secured 41 seats. In comparison, the 2016 elections saw the Left Democratic Front winning 92 seats and the United Democratic Front 47 seats. The National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, won one seat in 2016 but lost it in the 2021 elections.

Key individuals and their constituencies ahead of the election include Pinarayi Vijayan, the current Chief Minister, who is running for a third term from Dharmadam. VD Satheesan, leader of the Opposition from the Congress party, and KK Shailaja, the former Health Minister known as ‘Shailaja Teacher,’ are also prominent. Other notable figures include Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Ramesh Chennithala, V Muraleedharan, and Fathima Thahiliya.

In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single largest party, winning 60 seats with 33.6% of the votes. The Indian National Congress secured 29 seats, capturing 30% of the vote share. The All India United Democratic Front won 16 seats with 9.4% of the votes, while the Asom Gana Parishad managed 9 seats, accounting for 8% of the votes. The United People’s Party Liberal won 6 seats with 3.4% vote share, independent candidates collectively won 1 seat with 6% of the votes, and other smaller parties shared 5 seats with a combined vote share of 9.6%.

The wealthiest candidates in the Assam Assembly elections include Rahul Roy of the Indian National Congress from Hailakandi, with assets exceeding 261 crore. Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front from Binnakandi follows with over 226 crore in assets. Other prominent figures on the list include Himanta Biswa Sarma of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Jalukbari, reported with 35 crore in assets.

The Congress-led alliance ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections has several notable strengths, including a strong legacy network, extensive political experience, and solid support from minority communities and tea garden workers. However, it faces weaknesses such as perceived weak leadership, setbacks in recent elections, and heavy reliance on smaller allies. The alliance also has opportunities to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiment and momentum from recent Lok Sabha results. At the same time, it confronts threats like vote splitting by opposition parties and a perception among some voters of being “soft on infiltrators.”

From Haryana to Maharashtra and now Assam, the BJP has repeatedly overcome anti-incumbency, not just retaining power but often expanding its mandate. Across states, it has followed a familiar pattern, defending its base while steadily pushing further.

Assam’s 126-seat Assembly saw Congress’s AS Ali Sarkar register the biggest win with a 1,19,097-vote margin in Gauripur, while AGP’s Prakash Chandra Das secured the closest victory by just 724 votes in Hajo Sualkuchi. Congress’s 27-year-old Tanzil Hussain became the youngest MLA, BJP’s 71-year-old Prasanta Phukan the oldest, and AIUDF’s Badruddin Ajmal emerged as the richest MLA with assets worth Rs 226.3 crore.

In 2026, BJP has expanded to 22 states and INC is limited to 6 seats.