New Delhi

The Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry produced mixed results for the Indian National Congress and its allies, with Muslim candidates posting notable performances in several states.

In Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front returned to power after a decade, 35 Muslim MLAs were elected, of whom 30 belong to the UDF. This includes eight Congress legislators and 22 from the Indian Union Muslim League.

Among the notable winners was Fathima Thahiliya of the IUML, who won from Perambra in Kozhikode district and became the party’s first Muslim woman MLA after defeating T. P. Ramakrishnan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

In Assam, Congress candidates from the Muslim community recorded a strong strike rate, with 18 of the 20 Muslim nominees reportedly winning. The party’s ally Raijor Dal also won two seats, including one secured by party chief Akhil Gogoi.

The All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal reacted sharply, alleging that Congress had “become the Muslim League” after the results.

In West Bengal, Congress won two seats, both in constituencies with sizeable Muslim populations. In Tamil Nadu, Congress fielded two Muslim candidates, with one emerging victorious.

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Overall, Muslim candidates fielded by Congress and its allies in states such as Kerala and Assam recorded a notably high success rate, in some cases crossing 80 per cent, highlighting the alliance’s strong support in several minority-dominated constituencies.