May 4, 2026, 9:21 a.m. ETMUMBAI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party was on course to win two of four crucial state elections on Monday, expanding its influence and weakening its key rival halfway into his third term in office.Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was set to return to power in the eastern state of Assam for the third straight term, and was sweeping West Bengal, counting trends on the Election Commission website showed. Both states border Bangladesh, and infiltration into India was a key issue in the polls.The BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a state where it had only three local lawmakers until 2021.Modi, his closest aide, Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior BJP leaders have campaigned extensively in West Bengal for weeks, focusing on what they called illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.Banerjee is a fierce critic of Modi and a key member of India's opposition alliance. She has been in power in the state since 2011.The positive trend for the BJP in West Bengal also boosted market sentiment, with the 10-year bond yield down 2 basis points at 6.9954%, bond traders said.Blow to opposition allianceIn
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