4 States, 1 UT: Who will be crowned next CMs in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Puducherry?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to form government in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry while Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is poised to return to power in Kerala.

Actor-turned politician Vijay writing a new script in Tamil Nadu as assembly election results of four states and Union Territory is being announced today, 4 May.

BJP's expected victory in West Bengal will mark a significant moment for the party as it had been for long a marginal player in the state dominated for years by the Congress, Left parties and later Trinamool Congress. It is also the home state of the BJP's ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerji.

The BJP had won 77 seats in the last assembly polls. According to the latest results from ECI, BJP is leading in 205 among the 293 seats for which counting was held on Monday, reflecting the steadfastness of its campaign during which it amplified every issue on which it could target the ruling Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee-led ruling party was ahead on 82 seats.

With the landslide victory comes the next stage of picking a chief minister for West Bengal. While many names are doing rounds, the saffron party might come up with a lesser-known name for the top post as it has done in the past,

Among the names doing rounds as frontrunners include Suvendu Adhikari, who was once Mamata Banerjee's key aide Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 elections. Mamata is leading against Suvendu in Bhabanipur

Samik Bhattacharya is currently the president of the West Bengal unit of the BJP, is another name in the reckoning. He is also a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing West Bengal since 2024, and a former MLA from Basirhat Dakshin. Dilip Ghosh, former West Bengal BJP chief is also one of the many names for the top post.

Vijay, the next CM of Tamil Nadu?

In Tamil Nadu, Vijay broke new ground as he took the election away from the two Dravidian parties, which have dominated the state's politics for over six decades.

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is leading on 108 seats leaving behind traditional Dravidian parties DMK and AIDMK. As per current trends, Vijay will fall short of a majority in the 234-member state assembly and will need the support of other parties to form a government.

Vijay, who had the massive backing of youth in the state, rode on the popularity that film stars have in the southern state. He is the only probable CM face for Tamil Nadu.

VD Satheesan and KC Venugopal among names for Kerala

The Congress-led UDF is on course for a handsome victory in Keralam and will form government in the southern state after 10 years of LDF rule. Victory in Kerala is a morale booster for Congress.

Three leaders are considered to be the primary contenders in the race for Kerala's next Chief Minister - Congress' national general secretary KC Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in Assembly VD Satheesan, and former state unit chief Ramesh Chennithala, who is politically senior and more experienced than both Venugopal and Satheesan.

Venugopal is 63 years old, while Satheesan will turn 62 and Chennithala will turn 70 this month. All three leaders hail from the Nair community, a forward caste group which constitutes approximately 12 per cent of Kerala's population.

HBS in Assam?

In Assam, the BJP-led NDA was looking for its third successive win in assembly polls and performed according to its expectations, with the alliance winning close to 100 seats in the 126-member House.

This was the first assembly election in the state with Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chief Minister and the party improved its performance compared to the 2021 polls.

The BJP is ahead in 69 seats in Assam and has won 13, Congress is leading on 20 seats, Bodoland Peoples Front (BoPF) on nine, AGP on 8 and AIUDF on two, Raijor Dal (RJRD) on two, Trinamool Congress on one and independent on one.

Sarma is the top name for CM post in Assam.

Who will be CM of Puducherry?

In Puducherry, NR Congress has won 9 seats and is leading on two, DMK is leading on four and has won one, BJP is leading on one seat and has won two, TVK has won one seat and is leading on one seat and Congress and AIADMK have won one seat each.

While incumbent CM N Rangasamy remains the frontrunner, other names doing rounds are Malladi Krishna Rao, senior AINRC leader and experienced ministerial face, A Namassivayam, influential political leader with administrative experience and C Jayakumar, a prominent AINRC leader with grassroots support.

(With agency inputs)