Trinamool Congress-led alliance appears set to sweep West Bengal, AIADMK-led coalition looks well ahead in Tamil Nadu, while there is a close contest between ruling LDF and UDF in Kerala in the counting of votes in the assembly elections in four states that began today.
In Assam, the ruling Congress appears to be emerging as the single largest party in contention for a third successive term, while in Puducherry also it looks headed for a third term.
In the 294-seat assembly in West Bengal, the 34-year-old regime of the Left front is set to crumble with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress ahead in 172 seats. The Left Front is leading in 67 seats.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK appears to be on the way out of power with J Jayalalitha-led AIADMK alliance ahead in 159 of the 234 seats. The DMK-Congress alliance was ahead only in 44.
Kerala has witnessed an interesting duel between the ruling Left Democratic Front led by CPI(M) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The UDF is ahead in 73 seats in the 140-member assembly. The LDF was leading in 65.
In Assam, Congress was ahead in 50 seats, BJP and AGP leading in seven seats each and Bodoland Peoples Front leading in five seats.
In the 30-member assembly in Puducherry, DMK-led alliance was ahead in 10 seats while AIADMK was leading in five.