Each region going to polls in April faces distinct political dynamics.
In Assam, politics has long been shaped by anxieties around migration, identity and citizenship, particularly along its border with Bangladesh. The BJP has been in power in the northeastern state for a decade, and the election is seen as a test of whether it can retain that dominance.
The campaign here has been marked by sharp rhetoric from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of the BJP, who has framed the election discourse around undocumented immigration and demographic change, often making derogatory comments about Bengali-speaking Muslims. The opposition, led by the Congress, is seeking to consolidate support around governance, economic concerns and regional identity.
Kerala ranks among India’s top states in human development indicators such as literacy, healthcare and life expectancy and campaigns here often focus on welfare delivery and governance. The southern state has traditionally alternated between alliances led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress. The Left party alliance has been in power for a decade now, and will be looking to overcome the anti-incumbency factor.
Coastal enclave Puducherry, which has a 30-member assembly, is currently governed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Campaign debates here usually centre on welfare, employment, development and relations with the federal government.
India’s eastern state West Bengal, the most populous of the five regions, with more than 70 million voters, has been governed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress party since 2011. The BJP has emerged as its principal challenger in recent years. The state votes in two phases on 23 and 29 April.
Banerjee has sought to project the BJP as an outsider force, arguing that its politics does not align with West Bengal’s linguistic and cultural traditions. The BJP, which has been trying to dismiss this characterisation, has centred its campaign on broader concerns such as undocumented immigration and national security, sharpening a polarised contest in the state which borders Bangladesh.
The campaign here has been dominated by controversies around the SIR exercise, with a final list showing that nine million voters have been deleted. The largest number of deletions are from the Muslim-majority district of Murshidabad.
Tamil Nadu has long been dominated by two regional parties – the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which is contesting the election in an alliance with the BJP. This election – with voting scheduled on 23 April – has drawn extra attention with the emergence of a third political force led by superstar Vijay.
The BJP has struggled to gain a foothold in the state, where politics has long been dominated by parties that were born out of regional political movements around social justice, state autonomy and a distinct linguistic and cultural identity. Even modest gains in the state would be seen as a breakthrough for the BJP, signalling its ability to expand in southern India.
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