[Source: Yahoo News]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has failed to win at key state in elections held amid record deaths and cases of coronavirus.

The BJP targeted West Bengal heavily during campaigning but it was comfortably held by the incumbent, Mamata Banerjee, a fierce Modi critic.

The party held power in Assam but failed to make major gains elsewhere.

The vote was closely watched to see if Mr Modi would be punished by voters for his handling of India’s Covid crisis.

For 10 straight days, daily cases have topped 300,000. On Sunday, India set a new record for daily deaths, with 3,689 recorded.

Hospitals are facing dire shortages of beds and medical oxygen, with many Indians resorting to desperate pleas on social media to secure help.

Campaign rallies and voting have been blamed for the surge in cases.

Mr Modi and his home minister made dozens of speeches in West Bengal and were criticised for focusing on the polls rather than the pandemic.