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India's ruling party widens influence after winning in northeast state

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi won an absolute majority in the northeastern state of Assam, one of five states electing new legislatures.

Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states along with the union territory of Puducherry voted in April and May to elect new governments with the votes being counted Thursday.

It is the first time the BJP has won in the northeastern state of Assam, expanding its political influence beyond its traditional heartland.

"I thank the people of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Kerala for their support & assure them we will always work hard and serve them," Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on twitter.

Regional parties in two key Indian states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Thursday retained power.

West Bengal Chief Minister and leader of Trinamool Congress Mamta Banerjee got a second straight term. Likewise in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK Chief J Jayalalitha has secured her second consecutive term.

Her victory proved the exit polls wrong, which had predicted victory for her rival party DMK led by 91-year old M Karunanidhi.

The opposition Congress party that lost in two states of Assam and Kerala managed a win in Puducherry, while the Left Democratic Front emerged as winner in Kerala.

In Kerala, the Left has pushed the ruling Congress party-led United Democratic Front out of power.

However, in Puducherry, Congress has won 15 seats and its alliance partner DMK two seats, giving it a majority in the 30-member house to form a government.

The Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi said her party would introspect into the reasons of their losses.

"We accept the verdict of people with humility," her son Rahul Gandhi, the fourth generation scion of Nehru-Gandhi clan wrote on twitter. Endit