Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa, the two women chief ministers, in the five states where Assembly elections were held, retained power. Mamata’s magic slogan Ma-Mati-Manush worked in the eastern state as people gave her the mandate. In Assam, BJP trounced the Congress, ending their 15-year rule. In Kerala, Left front won, defeating Congress. However, Puducherry is the only state that went to the Congress. Here’s an overview of the 2016 Assembly Elections from Arindam.

The Assembly election 2016 results in five states marked the return of two women chief ministers, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu. Congress lost its hold in Assam, where it was routed by the BJP. Kerala was predictable with the Left Front snatching power from the Congress-led UDF.

Of the 294 seats in West Bengal, Mamata-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept the polls, winning 211 of 294 seats. TMC trashed the Left-Congress alliance. It way behind with just 76 seats. BJP bagged three seats, while others won four seats.

There were celebrations in West Bengal. Green gulal were smeared as the victors took out processions to the beats of drums, dancing with joy. Sweets were distributed. The magic of ‘Ma-Mati-Manush’ of TMC (mother-earth-people) continued to hold its sway in the eastern state.
Mamata hinted at national ambitions and has set her eyes on Tripura.

In Tamil Nadu, the AIDMK won 134 of the 234 seats, crossing the majority mark of 118 seats comfortably. DMK had to contend with just 98 seats. ‘Amma’ as Jayalalithaa is fondly called, is the first CM to be reelected in 32 years, making history in her own rights.

In Assam, the BJP-led alliance stormed the Congress citadel. It wrested power from the Congress, with its alliance winning 86 seats, in a house of 126 seats, comfortable crossing the majority mark of 64 seats on its own. The BJP on its own the lion share, 78 seats. The Congress was trounced. It bagged merely 26 seats. The AIUDF won 13 seats.

BJP ended the 15-year rule of the Congress in the northeastern state.

Congress was decimated in four of the five states. This is a shot in the arm of the BJP-led Modi government in the Centre.

Meanwhile, Puducherry is the only state that gave its mandate to the Congress-DMK alliance, where it bagged 17 seats in a house of 30 seats. AINRC won eight seats and others bagged five.

In Kerala, the LDF won 80 seats, just double that of the UDF from which it wrested power. Others won 20 seats.

In Kannur, BJP and CPM workers clashed. The police had to fire teargas shells to quell the crowd. One causality was reported, on Thursday.

We accept the verdict of the people of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala with utmost humility, said the Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of five states for the peaceful elections.

Pic: From Net

Arindam Roy

Arindam Roy has over four decades of experience in various newsrooms of renowned media houses. He is the Founder, Publishing Director, Editor-in-Chief of Different Truths, and Kavya Kumbh Publishing Consultant (KKPC). He has co-authored ten chapters in six Coffee Table Books (CTBs) of national and international repute and is the sole author of four forthcoming CTBs (Times Group). He has also published four international poetry anthologies as the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, participated in several poetry and literary festivals, and won awards and accolades. Arindam co-authored the novel Rivers Run Back with an American writer. He stays in Bangalore and Prayagraj.

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