Omar Abdullah's 2-word tweet captures Bengal and Tamil Nadu upsets
"Bloody hell," remarked Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah as the BJP surged towards a landslide victory in West Bengal, while Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) made a striking debut in Tamil Nadu, crossing 100 seats and closing in on the 118-seat majority mark.
by Prateek Chakraborty · India TodayIn Short
- BJP set for landslide victory in Bengal, ending TMC's 15-year-old rule
- Vijay's TVK set to become single largest party in Tamil Nadu
- Bengal and Tamil Nadu saw high voter turnouts in Assembly polls
“Bloody hell" was what Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X, around the same time as the nation was witnessing twin political earthquakes in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. While the BJP surged towards a landslide win in West Bengal, actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) stunned rivals in Tamil Nadu, emerging as the single largest party in its electoral debut.
Abdullah's remark quickly struck a chord, with several users flooding replies with memes, reactions and sharp political commentary. Visuals featuring a laughing PM Narendra Modi and “Khela hobe” slogans from TMC supporters reflected the charged atmosphere as counting progressed.
"You can't take light Omar ji. His name is Narendra Modi," a user wrote.
Another user shared a gif of South megastar Rajinikanth from a movie scene, asking a man, "Ye kya hogaya Aadi?" (What happened, Aadi).
A third user said, "TMC right now -- Khela hobe. Jai Shree Ram."
BJP, TVK MAKE BIG GAINS
According to Election Commission trends, the BJP was leading in 187 of 293 seats in West Bengal, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC), was limited to double-digit figures, and was ahead in 92. The saffron party, which won 77 seats in the 2021 election, is set to form its first-ever government in the eastern state, which saw a record turnout of over 90 per cent.
The Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), founded by expelled TMC leader Humayun Kabir, was ahead in two seats, while the All India Secular Front (AISF) was leading in two and one for the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which once ruled the state.
In Tamil Nadu, which saw a turnout of over 85 per cent, Vijay's TVK defied expectations and is set to make a stunning debut in the state and was leading in 110 of 234 seats, just eight short of a majority.
Notably, only the Axis My India exit poll had predicted big gains for TVK, saying the party was projected to win 98-120 seats, while other pollsters had projected lesser numbers.
The AIADMK, which has been struggling to make relevance since then-Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death in 2016, dethroned the ruling DMK to take the second position. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats as opposed to 48 for the DMK. The Congress was ahead in just five seats, EC trends showed.
Tamil Nadu voted in a single phase on April 23, while West Bengal saw polling in two phases on April 23 and 29.
Tamil Nadu Election Result Live
West Bengal Election Result Live
Puducherry Election Result Live
- Ends