Battle of the Chieftains | Assembly polls 2026
Regional heavyweights lead the charge in four key state elections of national import
One a veteran, another a fiery fighter, the third a political scion who has proved his mettle, and the fourth a master of the political game. The coming assembly elections are a contest of towering personalities, each commanding an arena of national import. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, seeking a fourth consecutive term, faces a high-stakes battle against the BJP, which sees the state as the last unclaimed big prize in its eastern kitty. In Kerala, the stakes for Pinarayi Vijayan are existential: a defeat could write the political epitaph of not just the octogenarian CM but also of the Left, giving the Congress power in three out of five states in the South. The contests in Tamil Nadu and Assam are about consolidation. A return to power would cement the standing of M.K. Stalin and Himanta Biswa Sarma, turning electoral victory into enduring political capital. In the following pages, we analyse each chieftain’s prospects and challenges:
One a veteran, another a fiery fighter, the third a political scion who has proved his mettle, and the fourth a master of the political game. The coming assembly elections are a contest of towering personalities, each commanding an arena of national import. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, seeking a fourth consecutive term, faces a high-stakes battle against the BJP, which sees the state as the last unclaimed big prize in its eastern kitty. In Kerala, the stakes for Pinarayi Vijayan are existential: a defeat could write the political epitaph of not just the octogenarian CM but also of the Left, giving the Congress power in three out of five states in the South. The contests in Tamil Nadu and Assam are about consolidation. A return to power would cement the standing of M.K. Stalin and Himanta Biswa Sarma, turning electoral victory into enduring political capital. In the following pages, we analyse each chieftain’s prospects and challenges:
West Bengal | The Mamata quest for a quad
Seeking a fourth term as CM, Mamata Banerjee faces a new threat: a contested revision of voter rolls that could trim her core base. Meanwhile, the BJP is sharpening its ideological and electoral pitch
Tamil Nadu | Biggest test for Stalin
The DMK supremo’s pursuit of a second term is challenged by a resurgent AIADMK headed by E.P.S. and the disruptive debut of actor Vijay’s TVK
An ascendant Congress-led UDF is determined to put the brakes on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF’s bid for a historic third term, even as the BJP eyes a return to the assembly
The hugely popular chief minister has covered all bases: a great record in infrastructure and jobs, layers of welfare schemes and polarisation of voters through the ‘Miya’ scare
With strained alliances on both sides in Puducherry, the NDA faces off against the Congress-DMK, hoping to capitalise on CM N. Rangasamy’s personal connect with voters
