The state legislative elections recently held in India extended the political reach of Narendra Modi’s BJP. The elections were held in four states — Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala — and the territory of Puducherry. The electoral results were viewed by media pundits as a gauge of the future direction of Indian democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the increasing influence of BJP-derived Hindu majoritarian politics. The implications of the electoral victories may provide impetus to the BJP for the 2029 general elections, since the BJP lost its majority in the national parliament in June 2024.

The state election results will increase the number of BJP members in Parliament’s upper house since they are elected by state legislatures. The results highlighted not only the expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across many regions, but also the rise of right-wing populism and polarisation. Resultantly, critics referred to this political development in India as the “saffronisation” of national politics. As an important symbolic victory for the BJP to defeat Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the party illustrated a semblance of legitimacy. For years, Bengal was seen as a bastion of secular values. The ingress of the BJP into West Bengal holds significance beyond the state itself, reflecting a shift in political dynamics. Reports published in international media suggest these election outcomes mark the BJP’s evolution from a party centred in the northern Hindi-speaking belt to one with nationwide influence. This time,........

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