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Modi's party set to gain big in Indian state elections
MUMBAI, May 4 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party was on course to win two of four crucial state elections on Monday, expanding its influence and weakening its key rival half-way into his third term in office.Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was set to return to power in the eastern state of Assam for the third straight term, and was sweeping West Bengal, counting trends on the Election Commission website showed. Both states border Bangladesh and infiltration into India was a key poll issue.The BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a state where it had only three local lawmakers until 2021.Modi, his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders have campaigned extensively in West Bengal for weeks, focusing on what they called illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.Banerjee is a fierce critic of Modi and a key member of India's opposition alliance. She has been in power in the state since 2011.The positive trend for the BJP in West Bengal also boosted market sentiment, with the 10-year bond yield down 2 basis points at 6.9954%, bond traders said.BLOW TO OPPOSITION ALLIANCEIn the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a major hub for electronics and automobiles, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, a first-time entrant into politics who launched his party only two years ago, looked on course to oust the ruling DMK party.The actor, who goes by the single name Vijay, has a frenzied fan following in the state, which has a history of electing film stars to the top office.In the other southern state of Kerala, an alliance led by the Congress party looked set to defeat the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).The DMK is also a vocal rival of Modi, and DMK and Banerjee's ruling TMC party were the main pillars of the Congress-led opposition INDIA alliance. The alliance jointly fought the 2024 general election and deprived Modi of an outright majority, forcing him to rely on the support of regional parties to form a coalition government.Their losses are expected to significantly weaken opposition to Modi in 2029, when he will contest for a record fourth term in office.Final results are expected to be clear by Monday evening but the outcome is not expected to have an immediate impact on politics or policy at the federal level. REUTERS
Modi's party poised for big wins in Indian state elections
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is set to win two of four crucial state elections, expand its influence and weaken its key rival halfway into his third term in office.Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was expected to return to power in the eastern state of Assam for the third straight term and was ahead in West Bengal, based on counting trends on the Election Commission website on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Will another film star be able to sway the election in India’s Tamil Nadu?list 2 of 4India denounces ‘hellhole’ remark shared by Trumplist 3 of 4Two Kashmir brothers: One killed by rebels, another by army 26 years laterlist 4 of 4Thousands in India’s Manipur mark three years since ethnic clashes beganend of listElections in five states and territories took place in April and May with the BJP seeking to make inroads into opposition-held states, which would bolster Modi’s ability to tackle a series of economic and foreign policy challenges, including a high unemployment rate and a pending trade deal with the United States.Modi, his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior BJP leaders have campaigned extensively in West Bengal for weeks, focusing on what they called “illegal immigration” from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.Banerjee is a fierce critic of Modi and a key member of India’s opposition alliance. She has been in power in the state since 2011. The BJP has never governed West Bengal.Trends released by the Election Commission of India on Monday showed the ruling party leading in 176 out of 294 seats in West Bengal.Banerjee, speaking before the count, insisted her party would win.“The BJP is not coming. Take my word for it,” she said. “Be patient till the last.”West Bengal’s BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya told the AFP news agency he was confident of a win.“It was an election of rejection,” he said. “People of the state want change.”Al Jazeera’s Neha Poonia, reporting from New Delhi, said that based on its early leads that have come in, the BJP is heading for a “big win”, which would be a huge upset for Banerjee, who posted a video message addressing her party’s supporters and workers, asking them not to be disheartened.“She claims that the Election Commission is deliberately going slow in counting votes in those seats where her party is likely to win,” Poonia said.According to Uday Chandra, a professor at Ashoka University in the National Capital ...
India's Modi eyes win in opposition-held West Bengal
Supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated in West Bengal on Monday, taking to the streets as his Hindu-nationalist party appeared poised for victory in keenly fought state ...
Modi Set for Landmark Win in Key Opposition-Ruled Indian State
Modi Set for Landmark Win in Key Opposition-Ruled Indian State Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party was set to secure its first-ever election victory in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, expanding its support base across the country and bolstering his standing as the nation's most popular leader.
