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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies were projected to win two of four state elections, exit polls showed on Wednesday, projecting a surprise gain that would strengthen the party’s dominance across the country.
Modi’s BJP has won most state elections since a shocking performance in the 2024 general election when it lost its outright majority and had to rely on alliance partners to form a government.
* The eastern states of Assam and West Bengal, the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with the federally administered territory of Puducherry, are all electing new governments.
* Voting ended on Wednesday. Ballots will be counted on May 4 and results announced the same day.
* A BJP-led alliance has ruled Assam for the last 10 years. It is projected to easily win a majority and return to power for a third straight term.
* In West Bengal, where BJP fought a pitched battle against the ruling Trinamool Congress party, most pollsters predicted an upset win for BJP.
* Top BJP leaders, including Modi, campaigned for weeks in West Bengal, focusing on who they say are illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and the weak economy as key issues.
* In Tamil Nadu, a major industrial hub for electronics and automobiles, the ruling regional DMK party’s alliance was projected to win a second straight term.
* In Kerala, the only state ruled by communists, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its allies are likely to lose to an opposition alliance led by the Congress party in a tight race, exit polls showed.
* Exit polls in India have a mixed record and can be inaccurate, given the country’s vast and diverse electorate.
Reuters
