Key Takeaways
May 4, 2026 · 2 min read · By Rishabh Bhardwaj
·
AI-assisted, human-reviewed · Our editorial standards
Counting has begun for the West Bengal assembly election, with early Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) rounds starting to come in after 8:30 AM. The results will determine whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) holds onto power in the state, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can pull off what would be a historic victory in one of India's most politically competitive states.
TMC has governed West Bengal under the banner of "Ma-Mati-Manush", a Bengali phrase meaning Mother, Motherland, and People, which has been its core political identity since Banerjee first swept to power in 2011, ending 34 years of Left Front rule. Retaining the state would reinforce her position as one of India's most durable regional leaders.
For BJP, a win here would mark a significant geographic breakthrough in eastern India, a region where the party has historically struggled to form state governments despite strong Lok Sabha performances. West Bengal is India's fourth most populous state and carries substantial political symbolism for any national party seeking broader reach.
For TMC, defeat would be a serious blow to Banerjee's standing as a opposition voice at the national level, where she has positioned herself as a counterweight to the BJP-led central government.
Early EVM rounds are partial and can shift sharply as counting progresses through the day. Trends from urban versus rural constituencies, and from districts that saw high turnout or security concerns during polling, will give the clearest early signal of which direction the final result is heading.
No verified seat counts or leads are available yet from the source at this stage. As counting advances past the initial rounds, a clearer picture of constituency-level margins will emerge and indicate whether either party is on track for a comfortable majority or a tighter contest.
India's Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, up 64 percent from ISM 1.0's Rs 76,000 crore. The proposal now goes to the Cabinet, as two chip plants begin commercial output and a third, CG Semi, is set to open July 4, 2026.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump from firing Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, preserving the Fed's independence from presidential removal power. A separate ruling the same day gave Trump broader authority to dismiss leaders of other independent federal agencies.
The US Supreme Court has blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who faced unproven mortgage fraud allegations. The ruling preserves Fed independence for now and keeps a politically charged removal case alive in the courts.
The US Supreme Court, splitting along ideological lines, has allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.