Modi’s Hindu right targets gains in India’s elections: What to know
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- BJP seeks to convert state‑level wins into momentum for the 2029 parliamentary election after losing its national majority in June 2024.
- West Bengal will count votes on May 4, where incumbent chief minister Mamata Banerjee aims for a record fourth term over a population of 105 million.
- Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma runs for a second term, having framed the election around anti‑infiltration rhetoric targeting Bengali‑speaking migrants.
- Kerala’s Left Democratic Front, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, defends a third term against a revived Congress challenge, while the BJP holds only a handful of seats.
- Tamil Nadu remains a BJP stronghold, with the Dravidian parties and a new actor‑turned‑politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar vying for influence.
Why it matters: The BJP’s performance in the four states—covering 105 million West Bengal voters—will determine its leverage for the 2029 national election and trigger fuel‑price volatility for Indian consumers.
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