Double jolt: Sitting CMs Mamata, Stalin suffer defeat

The 2026 Assembly election results have delivered outcomes that few anticipated. Established leaders have suffered major defeats, while new faces and parties have surged ahead, reshaping the political landscape across key states in India.
Mamata Banerjee suffered twin losses– both the West Bengal elections as well as her Bhabanipur seat.
TMC chief lost from the constituency by a margin of over 15,000 votes. Her vanquisher is none other than her protégé-turned-rival, Suvendu Adhikari, who got 73,463 votes compared to her 58,349 votes.
DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has lost from the Kolathur constituency.
TVK’s VS Babu has won the seat by securing 82,997 votes, leaving behind Stalin with 74,202.
Until now, the seat was considered a DMK stronghold.
Stalin has won this seat thrice since its formation in 2011 after delimitation.
With two regional stalwarts and sitting chief ministers– Mamata and Stalin– losing power, the outcome is being seen as a major boost for the BJP-led NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The results mark a significant political shift, weakening key regional strongholds and providing strategic relief to the NDA at the national level, political observers said.