BLOW TO OPPOSITION ALLIANCE
In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a major hub for electronics and automobiles, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, a first-time entrant into politics who launched his party only two years ago, looked on course to oust the ruling DMK party.
The actor, who goes by the single name Vijay, has a frenzied fan following in the state, which has a history of electing film stars to the top office.
In the other southern state of Kerala, an alliance led by the Congress party looked set to defeat the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The DMK is also a vocal rival of Modi, and DMK and Banerjee’s ruling TMC party were the main pillars of the Congress-led opposition INDIA alliance.
The alliance jointly fought the 2024 general election and deprived Modi of an outright majority, forcing him to rely on the support of regional parties to form a coalition government.
Their losses are expected to significantly weaken opposition to Modi in 2029, when he will contest for a record fourth term in office.
Final results are expected to be clear by Monday evening but the outcome is not expected to have an immediate impact on politics or policy at the federal level.
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