As the results for the elections to the five state assemblies began coming in, it became increasingly clear that the Indian National Congress was staring at yet another debacle while its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, had several reasons to cheer about.

The voters in Kerala, quite well known to be voting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) to power in alternate terms since 1982, stuck to their task this time as well when the LDF wrested power from the UDF winning over 80 seats in the 140-member House. The BJP opened its account in the State winning the Nemom constituency in suburban Tiruvananthapuram.

However, in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the same trend of electing parties alternately - in this case the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) - was broken after the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK retained the control of the State Assembly for a second successive term, a feat achieved by no political party since 1984. It was Jayalalithaa's political mentor M.G. Ramachandran who had led the AIADMK to power three consecutive times in 1977, 1980 and 1984.

Nestled within the southern State is the Union Territory of Puducherry that also went to polls this summer. The Indian National Congress (INC) got the better of the incumbent All India N R Congress (AINRC) by a wafer thin margin in the 30-member House, perhaps the only silver lining for the grand old party.

While the South did not provide the BJP much to cheer about, it East was a picture in contrast. The ruling party at the Centre secured its first foothold in the northeastern State of Assam where it defeated the INC quite convincingly. The BJP had portrayed Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate for the polls.

In West Bengal, where polling was held in six phases spread over seven different days, the All India Trinamool Congress swept aside the challenge thrown by an opportunistic alliance formed by the Left Front and the INC in the State. The Mamata Banerjee-led party almost repeated its massive victory of 2011, bagging over 200 seats. The BJP won in three constituencies, bettering its own record of a lone member in the outgoing Assembly.