Elections / BJP Eyes Breakthrough in Southern and Eastern Strongholds Ahead of Assembly Polls
·2 hours ago·3 min read
Key Points
Assembly elections are heating up across India, with Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry set to vote in April. Assam, Keralam, and Puducherry will go to the polls on April 9, Tamil Nadu on April 23, and West Bengal on April 23 and 29, making these contests crucial for both regional and national politics.
New Delhi, Apr 8: As India braces for assembly elections in Assam, Kerala (recently renamed Keralam), Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, political temperatures are soaring. Spread across April, these polls are being closely watched not only for their state-level impact but also for their national significance.Assam, Keralam and Puducherry will vote first on April 9, Tamil Nadu will follow on April 23, and West Bengal will vote on two days — April 23 and 29.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), traditionally dominant in the Hindi belt, is attempting to expand its footprint into states where regional parties have long held sway. Assam and Puducherry are already under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but West Bengal, Keralam, and Tamil Nadu remain strongholds of opposition parties.
West Bengal is the most fiercely contested battleground, with the BJP mounting an aggressive campaign to unseat Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have invested significant political capital in the state, with Shah personally overseeing the campaign. The BJP hopes to capitalize on its 38 percent vote share from 2021, compared to the TMC’s 48 percent. However, the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which allegedly disenfranchised millions of voters, has sparked public anger, particularly among Muslims, who form 27 percent of Bengal’s population.
Also Read: “Saffron Tsunami in Bengal”: Dharmendra Pradhan’s Bold Claim as Election Campaign Intensifies
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of the DMK seeks a second term, buoyed by welfare schemes and a strong alliance with Congress. The AIADMK, weakened after J. Jayalalitha’s demise, faces challenges, while the entry of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) adds a new dimension. Despite Modi’s outreach, the BJP has yet to win a seat in Tamil Nadu and is contesting in alliance with AIADMK.
Keralam presents another uphill battle for the BJP, where politics traditionally alternates between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a third term, remains the central figure of the LDF campaign. The BJP is targeting constituencies where it had double-digit vote shares in 2021, hoping to turn contests into three-way battles.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma leads the BJP’s campaign, combining women-focused welfare programs with polarizing rhetoric against Muslim immigrants. The Congress has fielded Gaurav Gogoi as its chief ministerial candidate, intensifying the contest.
In Puducherry, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy of the All India N.R. Congress, allied with the BJP, is seeking re-election.
Votes will be counted on May 4, with results likely to shape not only state politics but also the national narrative ahead of future elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), traditionally dominant in the Hindi belt, is attempting to expand its footprint into states where regional parties have long held sway. Assam and Puducherry are already under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but West Bengal, Keralam, and Tamil Nadu remain strongholds of opposition parties.
West Bengal is the most fiercely contested battleground, with the BJP mounting an aggressive campaign to unseat Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have invested significant political capital in the state, with Shah personally overseeing the campaign. The BJP hopes to capitalize on its 38 percent vote share from 2021, compared to the TMC’s 48 percent. However, the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which allegedly disenfranchised millions of voters, has sparked public anger, particularly among Muslims, who form 27 percent of Bengal’s population.
Also Read: “Saffron Tsunami in Bengal”: Dharmendra Pradhan’s Bold Claim as Election Campaign Intensifies
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of the DMK seeks a second term, buoyed by welfare schemes and a strong alliance with Congress. The AIADMK, weakened after J. Jayalalitha’s demise, faces challenges, while the entry of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) adds a new dimension. Despite Modi’s outreach, the BJP has yet to win a seat in Tamil Nadu and is contesting in alliance with AIADMK.
Keralam presents another uphill battle for the BJP, where politics traditionally alternates between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a third term, remains the central figure of the LDF campaign. The BJP is targeting constituencies where it had double-digit vote shares in 2021, hoping to turn contests into three-way battles.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma leads the BJP’s campaign, combining women-focused welfare programs with polarizing rhetoric against Muslim immigrants. The Congress has fielded Gaurav Gogoi as its chief ministerial candidate, intensifying the contest.
In Puducherry, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy of the All India N.R. Congress, allied with the BJP, is seeking re-election.
Votes will be counted on May 4, with results likely to shape not only state politics but also the national narrative ahead of future elections.
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