As counting of votes starts in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry, the fate of over 8,800 candidates hangs in balance, and so does the states’ future. Assembly Election Results 2026 Analysis Live Updates: After high-octane campaigns leading to fierce showdowns across four states and a Union Territory, the wait for the results is now over: at 8 am, as the strong rooms open and the EVMs are unsealed one by one, the counting centres will go buzzing, with early trends trickling in. What pollsters predicted:  As counting of votes starts in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu , Assam, and Puducherry, the fate of over 8,800 candidates hangs in balance, and so does the states’ future. With exit polls suggesting a saffron surge in West Bengal and an edge for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, these two states now stand on the precipice of a paradigm shift.…