Assembly Election 2026 Explained : With the defeat of the All-India Trinamool Congress after an uninterrupted stint of 15 years in power in West Bengal and the surprise defeat of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, the standing of regional parties has hit a new low. While the TVK is a new regional player that has done very well in Tamil Nadu, the regional framing of polls in the southern state has nevertheless suffered a loss, as the DMK was the strongest proponent of Tamil identity and politics. Anti-incumbency clearly defeated the DMK’s dogged framing of the elections as one to be fought around Tamil pride, with Chief Minister M K Stalin — who was championing the Tamil cause — losing his own election.  This is just the latest jolt to regional politics. While the Aam Aadmi Party is technically a national party, it was also powerful only in certain regions like Punjab and Delhi . However, its regional footprint has been shrinking.…