Barring West Bengal, where the second phase of polling will take place on April 29, assembly elections 2026 are almost done with. Held amid the controversy and concerns over phase 2 of the SIR, which has resulted in the deletion of 7.2 crore voters in 12 states and Union territories, the results of elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal will have a bearing on political parties and their leaders—both state and national. In the high-stakes battle of ideologies, political power, ambition, welfare schemes, and freebie promises, the outcome of these elections is expected to redraw the contours of political competition in the country, as their importance extends to national politics.

For the BJP, the five assembly elections will determine whether the saffron party continues to dominate political influence and ideological discourse—both at the national and state levels. For the Congress, the elections are a crucial test whether it can stand on its own or continue to remain hitched to regional allies. In Assam and Kerala, the grand old party is a challenger to the BJP and the Left Democratic Front, respectively. In West Bengal, the Congress has decided to go solo, while in Tamil Nadu it is a junior partner to the DMK. The principal dilemma before the Congress is whether to remain subordinate to regional parties or fight it out alone in future elections. The results of these elections will show whether the Congress is able to redefine its relationship with regional parties.

Given the Opposition’s failure to capitalise on the BJP’s reduced majority in the 2024 general........

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