New Delhi, May 4 -- While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates a historic breakthrough in West Bengal, it has simultaneously cemented its "fortress in the Northeast." On Monday, Himanta Biswa Sarma secured his second consecutive term as Chief Minister of Assam, riding a wave of support for his "security and growth" agenda.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark, leading or winning in 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. However, the results also tell a story of a deep religious polarisation: while the BJP swept indigenous and urban belts, the Muslim vote appeared fragmented between the Congress and other parties like Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF.

The BJP which had registered a 33.6% Vote Share in...