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The Hindu Editorial • May 05, 2026 • Read Original

Lost and found: On the 2026 Assembly elections

The National Democractic Alliance’s success in Bengal and Assam is partly offset by its failure in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

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The Hindu Read Original
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Analysis of editorial from The Hindu newspaper on May 05, 2026

Lost and found: On the 2026 Assembly elections

The National Democractic Alliance’s success in Bengal and Assam is partly offset by its failure in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

2026 Assembly ElectionsBJPTMCTVKTamil Nadu PoliticsWest Bengal Elections
Sentences
Sentence 1 of 13
English Original

The results of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry highlight several factors that have a bearing on India’s direction as a secular, democratic, federal republic.

Simple Present S + V + O Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
The results of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry
The final outcomes of the state-level elections held in five regions of India in 2026.
Verb What is happening
highlight
To draw attention to or clearly show something important.
Object What receives action
several factors that have a bearing on India’s direction as a secular, democratic, federal republic
Many reasons that influence how India moves forward as a country that respects all religions, allows people to vote, and shares power between central and state governments.
Sentence 2 of 13
English Original

In Assam and Puducherry, the BJP and its partners retained power, while in the other three States, incumbents were swept away in a strong current of changed popular opinion.

Simple Past Adjunct + S + V + O, while Adjunct + S + V + Adjunct Compound Sentence Compound Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct Additional info
In Assam and Puducherry
In these two specific regions of India.
Subject Who/What
the BJP and its partners
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the other political groups that joined them.
Verb What is happening
retained
To continue to have or hold something (in this case, power).
Object What receives action
power
The control of the government.
Adjunct Additional info
while in the other three States
Contrasting what happened in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal.
Subject Who/What
incumbents
The people or parties who were already holding the government positions before the election.
Verb What is happening
were swept away
To be removed or defeated completely and suddenly.
Adjunct Additional info
in a strong current of changed popular opinion
Because many people changed their minds and voted differently, like a powerful wave of water.
Sentence 3 of 13
English Original

In Assam, for the first time, the BJP crossed the halfway mark of 64 seats on its own and, with its partners, won 101 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

Simple Past Adjunct + S + V + O + and + Adjunct + V + O Main Clause Compound Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct Additional info
In Assam, for the first time
Happening in the state of Assam for the very first time in history.
Subject Who/What
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb What is happening
crossed
Went past a certain number or limit.
Object What receives action
the halfway mark of 64 seats on its own
Reaching more than half of the total seats (64 out of 126) without needing help from other parties.
Adjunct Additional info
with its partners
Together with the other political parties that are in alliance with the BJP.
Verb What is happening
won
Achieved victory in the contest.
Object What receives action
101 seats in the 126-member Assembly
Gaining 101 spots out of the total 126 available in the state legislature.
Context and Background
Assam Legislative Assembly

The Assam Legislative Assembly consists of 126 members elected from single-seat constituencies. To form a government independently, a party needs at least 64 seats (the majority mark). The 2026 results show a significant consolidation of power for the BJP in the Northeast.

Sentence 4 of 13
English Original

For the Congress, this is its worst performance — even lower than its 1985 tally in the aftermath of the Assam Agitation.

Simple Present Adjunct + S + V + C Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct Additional info
For the Congress
Regarding the Indian National Congress party.
Subject Who/What
this
The current election result in Assam.
Verb What is happening
is
States the current condition or status.
Complement Completes meaning
its worst performance — even lower than its 1985 tally in the aftermath of the Assam Agitation
The party’s lowest level of success ever, even worse than the few seats they won in 1985 after the big protests in Assam.
Context and Background
Assam Agitation (1979-1985)

The Assam Agitation was a popular movement against illegal immigration from Bangladesh. It ended with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985. The 1985 elections were a low point for the Congress as regional sentiments were very high, but the 2026 results are reportedly even worse for the party.

Sentence 5 of 13
English Original

The regional outfits that were part of the Congress-led alliance, including the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, were routed, while those within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — chiefly the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front — managed to win a few seats, though they now have little clout given the BJP’s outright majority.

Simple Past S + V, while S + V + O + Adjunct Compound-Complex Sentence Compound-Complex Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
The regional outfits that were part of the Congress-led alliance, including the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad
Local political parties in Assam that worked with the Congress party.
Verb What is happening
were routed
To be completely and decisively defeated in an election.
Adjunct Additional info
while those within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — chiefly the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front
Contrasting this with the local parties that were with the BJP alliance, like the AGP and BPF.
Verb What is happening
managed
Succeeded in doing something difficult.
Object What receives action
to win a few seats
Gaining a small number of positions in the assembly.
Adjunct Additional info
though they now have little clout given the BJP’s outright majority
However, these small parties now have very little power because the BJP has enough seats to rule alone.
Sentence 6 of 13
English Original

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reinforced his position in the State through a mix of polarising communal rhetoric and redistribution schemes.

Present Perfect S + V + O + Adjunct Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
The head of the government in Assam.
Verb What is happening
has reinforced
To make something (like power or position) stronger.
Object What receives action
his position in the State
His political power and standing in Assam.
Adjunct Additional info
through a mix of polarising communal rhetoric and redistribution schemes
By using both strong religious speeches that divide people and welfare programs that give money or benefits to the public.
Context and Background
Himanta Biswa Sarma

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who became CM in 2021, is known for his assertive leadership style. His governance model often combines Hindutva-leaning cultural politics with large-scale direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes like ‘Orunodoi’, which provides monthly financial assistance to women in the state.

Sentence 7 of 13
English Original

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi lost his own seat.

Simple Past S + V + O Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi
A prominent person in the Indian National Congress party from Assam.
Verb What is happening
lost
To be defeated in an election contest.
Object What receives action
his own seat
The specific electoral area (constituency) where he was personally competing to be a member of the assembly.
Context and Background
Gaurav Gogoi

Gaurav Gogoi is the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and the son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi. His loss is particularly significant as he is seen as one of the key national faces of the party from the Northeast.

Sentence 8 of 13
English Original

In West Bengal, the BJP has achieved a decisive victory through long-term planning, aided by the State’s political history, a tainted election process, and the exhaustion of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s politics that had run its course.

Present Perfect Adjunct + S + V + O + Adjunct Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct Additional info
In West Bengal
In the state of West Bengal.
Subject Who/What
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb What is happening
has achieved
Successfully gained or reached a goal.
Object What receives action
a decisive victory
A clear and final win that leaves no doubt about the winner.
Adjunct Additional info
through long-term planning, aided by the State’s political history, a tainted election process, and the exhaustion of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s politics that had run its course
Using careful plans made over many years, helped by the state’s past, some problems in the voting system, and the fact that people were tired of the TMC’s long rule.
Sentence 9 of 13
English Original

Bengal has been home to India’s national movement and to Hindutva ideas long before they spread elsewhere, and has carried a strong sense of regional identity.

Present Perfect S + V + C + and + V + O Main Clause Compound Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
Bengal
The region of West Bengal.
Verb What is happening
has been
Has existed as something for a long time.
Complement Completes meaning
home to India’s national movement and to Hindutva ideas long before they spread elsewhere
The starting place for India’s fight for freedom and for Hindu nationalist ideas, even before other parts of India started following them.
Verb What is happening
has carried
Has maintained or kept something over time.
Object What receives action
a strong sense of regional identity
A powerful feeling of pride and uniqueness based on being from that specific area (Bengal).
Context and Background
Bengal

Bengal was a major hub for the Indian independence struggle and produced leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It was also the birthplace of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (precursor to the BJP), founded by Syama Prasad Mukherjee, a Bengali. This historical root is often used by the BJP to counter the TMC’s claim that they are ‘outsiders’.

Sentence 10 of 13
English Original

The BJP, through years of meticulous organisation, converted a threshold population of the State to its totalising nationalist narrative.

Simple Past S + Adjunct + V + O + Adjunct Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
The BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Adjunct Additional info
through years of meticulous organisation
By working very carefully and in great detail to build their party structure over a long time.
Verb What is happening
converted
Changed someone’s beliefs or opinions to a new one.
Object What receives action
a threshold population of the State
A large enough number of people in West Bengal to reach a winning level.
Adjunct Additional info
to its totalising nationalist narrative
To their specific way of explaining India as one united nation under their ideology.
Sentence 11 of 13
English Original

Having subsumed the regional politics of Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha, it had set its sights on West Bengal with obsessive determination, and has won.

Past Perfect and Present Perfect Adjunct + S + V + O + Adjunct + and + V Main Clause with Participle Clause Compound-Complex Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct Additional info
Having subsumed the regional politics of Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha
After successfully taking control or bringing the local politics of these three states under its influence.
Subject Who/What
it
Referring to the BJP.
Verb What is happening
had set
Had decided on a specific goal in the past.
Object What receives action
its sights
The focus or goal they were aiming for.
Adjunct Additional info
on West Bengal with obsessive determination
Aiming for West Bengal with a very strong, almost extreme, will to succeed.
Verb What is happening
has won
Has achieved victory now.
Sentence 12 of 13
English Original

The TMC faces existential danger, with its founder-leader Mamata Banerjee at 71 and its cadre and voters now susceptible to pressure from the BJP.

Simple Present S + V + O + Adjunct Main Clause Simple Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
The TMC
The Trinamool Congress party.
Verb What is happening
faces
Is dealing with or encountering a difficult situation.
Object What receives action
existential danger
A threat that is so big it could cause the party to stop existing entirely.
Adjunct Additional info
with its founder-leader Mamata Banerjee at 71 and its cadre and voters now susceptible to pressure from the BJP
Because their leader is getting older and their members and supporters are now easily influenced or pressured by the winning BJP.
Sentence 13 of 13
English Original

The removal of 27 lakh people from the electoral rolls, mostly in regions where the BJP was weak, is a serious allegation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) must answer, but regardless of that, the BJP has managed to win over a significant section of the Bengali population.

Present Simple and Present Perfect S + V + C + but + Adjunct + S + V + O Compound Sentence Compound Sentence
Phrase Breakdown
Subject Who/What
The removal of 27 lakh people from the electoral rolls, mostly in regions where the BJP was weak
The act of taking 2.7 million names off the list of people allowed to vote, mainly in places where the BJP party didn’t have much support.
Verb What is happening
is
States what the situation is.
Complement Completes meaning
a serious allegation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) must answer
A very important claim of wrongdoing that the agency in charge of elections needs to explain.
Adjunct Additional info
regardless of that
No matter whether that is true or not.
Subject Who/What
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb What is happening
has managed
Has succeeded in doing something.
Object What receives action
to win over a significant section of the Bengali population
To convince a large group of people in Bengal to support them.
Sentence 1 of 13
Sentence 1 of 13
The results of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry highlight several factors that have a bearing on India’s direction as a secular, democratic, federal republic.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
The results of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry
The final outcomes of the state-level elections held in five regions of India in 2026.
Verb
highlight
To draw attention to or clearly show something important.
Object
several factors that have a bearing on India’s direction as a secular, democratic, federal republic
Many reasons that influence how India moves forward as a country that respects all religions, allows people to vote, and shares power between central and state governments.
Sentence 2 of 13
In Assam and Puducherry, the BJP and its partners retained power, while in the other three States, incumbents were swept away in a strong current of changed popular opinion.
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct
In Assam and Puducherry
In these two specific regions of India.
Subject
the BJP and its partners
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the other political groups that joined them.
Verb
retained
To continue to have or hold something (in this case, power).
Object
power
The control of the government.
Adjunct
while in the other three States
Contrasting what happened in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal.
Subject
incumbents
The people or parties who were already holding the government positions before the election.
Verb
were swept away
To be removed or defeated completely and suddenly.
Adjunct
in a strong current of changed popular opinion
Because many people changed their minds and voted differently, like a powerful wave of water.
Sentence 3 of 13
In Assam, for the first time, the BJP crossed the halfway mark of 64 seats on its own and, with its partners, won 101 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct
In Assam, for the first time
Happening in the state of Assam for the very first time in history.
Subject
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb
crossed
Went past a certain number or limit.
Object
the halfway mark of 64 seats on its own
Reaching more than half of the total seats (64 out of 126) without needing help from other parties.
Adjunct
with its partners
Together with the other political parties that are in alliance with the BJP.
Verb
won
Achieved victory in the contest.
Object
101 seats in the 126-member Assembly
Gaining 101 spots out of the total 126 available in the state legislature.
Sentence 4 of 13
For the Congress, this is its worst performance — even lower than its 1985 tally in the aftermath of the Assam Agitation.
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct
For the Congress
Regarding the Indian National Congress party.
Subject
this
The current election result in Assam.
Verb
is
States the current condition or status.
Complement
its worst performance — even lower than its 1985 tally in the aftermath of the Assam Agitation
The party’s lowest level of success ever, even worse than the few seats they won in 1985 after the big protests in Assam.
Sentence 5 of 13
The regional outfits that were part of the Congress-led alliance, including the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, were routed, while those within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — chiefly the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front — managed to win a few seats, though they now have little clout given the BJP’s outright majority.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
The regional outfits that were part of the Congress-led alliance, including the Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad
Local political parties in Assam that worked with the Congress party.
Verb
were routed
To be completely and decisively defeated in an election.
Adjunct
while those within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — chiefly the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front
Contrasting this with the local parties that were with the BJP alliance, like the AGP and BPF.
Verb
managed
Succeeded in doing something difficult.
Object
to win a few seats
Gaining a small number of positions in the assembly.
Adjunct
though they now have little clout given the BJP’s outright majority
However, these small parties now have very little power because the BJP has enough seats to rule alone.
Sentence 6 of 13
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reinforced his position in the State through a mix of polarising communal rhetoric and redistribution schemes.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
The head of the government in Assam.
Verb
has reinforced
To make something (like power or position) stronger.
Object
his position in the State
His political power and standing in Assam.
Adjunct
through a mix of polarising communal rhetoric and redistribution schemes
By using both strong religious speeches that divide people and welfare programs that give money or benefits to the public.
Sentence 7 of 13
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi lost his own seat.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi
A prominent person in the Indian National Congress party from Assam.
Verb
lost
To be defeated in an election contest.
Object
his own seat
The specific electoral area (constituency) where he was personally competing to be a member of the assembly.
Sentence 8 of 13
In West Bengal, the BJP has achieved a decisive victory through long-term planning, aided by the State’s political history, a tainted election process, and the exhaustion of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s politics that had run its course.
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct
In West Bengal
In the state of West Bengal.
Subject
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb
has achieved
Successfully gained or reached a goal.
Object
a decisive victory
A clear and final win that leaves no doubt about the winner.
Adjunct
through long-term planning, aided by the State’s political history, a tainted election process, and the exhaustion of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s politics that had run its course
Using careful plans made over many years, helped by the state’s past, some problems in the voting system, and the fact that people were tired of the TMC’s long rule.
Sentence 9 of 13
Bengal has been home to India’s national movement and to Hindutva ideas long before they spread elsewhere, and has carried a strong sense of regional identity.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
Bengal
The region of West Bengal.
Verb
has been
Has existed as something for a long time.
Complement
home to India’s national movement and to Hindutva ideas long before they spread elsewhere
The starting place for India’s fight for freedom and for Hindu nationalist ideas, even before other parts of India started following them.
Verb
has carried
Has maintained or kept something over time.
Object
a strong sense of regional identity
A powerful feeling of pride and uniqueness based on being from that specific area (Bengal).
Sentence 10 of 13
The BJP, through years of meticulous organisation, converted a threshold population of the State to its totalising nationalist narrative.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
The BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Adjunct
through years of meticulous organisation
By working very carefully and in great detail to build their party structure over a long time.
Verb
converted
Changed someone’s beliefs or opinions to a new one.
Object
a threshold population of the State
A large enough number of people in West Bengal to reach a winning level.
Adjunct
to its totalising nationalist narrative
To their specific way of explaining India as one united nation under their ideology.
Sentence 11 of 13
Having subsumed the regional politics of Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha, it had set its sights on West Bengal with obsessive determination, and has won.
Phrase Breakdown
Adjunct
Having subsumed the regional politics of Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha
After successfully taking control or bringing the local politics of these three states under its influence.
Subject
it
Referring to the BJP.
Verb
had set
Had decided on a specific goal in the past.
Object
its sights
The focus or goal they were aiming for.
Adjunct
on West Bengal with obsessive determination
Aiming for West Bengal with a very strong, almost extreme, will to succeed.
Verb
has won
Has achieved victory now.
Sentence 12 of 13
The TMC faces existential danger, with its founder-leader Mamata Banerjee at 71 and its cadre and voters now susceptible to pressure from the BJP.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
The TMC
The Trinamool Congress party.
Verb
faces
Is dealing with or encountering a difficult situation.
Object
existential danger
A threat that is so big it could cause the party to stop existing entirely.
Adjunct
with its founder-leader Mamata Banerjee at 71 and its cadre and voters now susceptible to pressure from the BJP
Because their leader is getting older and their members and supporters are now easily influenced or pressured by the winning BJP.
Sentence 13 of 13
The removal of 27 lakh people from the electoral rolls, mostly in regions where the BJP was weak, is a serious allegation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) must answer, but regardless of that, the BJP has managed to win over a significant section of the Bengali population.
Phrase Breakdown
Subject
The removal of 27 lakh people from the electoral rolls, mostly in regions where the BJP was weak
The act of taking 2.7 million names off the list of people allowed to vote, mainly in places where the BJP party didn’t have much support.
Verb
is
States what the situation is.
Complement
a serious allegation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) must answer
A very important claim of wrongdoing that the agency in charge of elections needs to explain.
Adjunct
regardless of that
No matter whether that is true or not.
Subject
the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party.
Verb
has managed
Has succeeded in doing something.
Object
to win over a significant section of the Bengali population
To convince a large group of people in Bengal to support them.

Reading Comprehension

Practice questions based on this editorial

Reading Comprehension - 2026 Assembly Elections

Practice reading comprehension questions based on the editorial about the 2026 Assembly election results and their political implications.

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