Kolkata, May 5: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a sweeping victory in West Bengal’s state elections, winning 206 of 293 seats and marking its first decisive triumph in the state since independence.
The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) was reduced to 81 seats, failing to cross the 100-seat mark and ending its 15-year rule. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered a major personal setback, losing the Bhabanipur constituency to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by 15,105 votes.
Adhikari also retained his stronghold in Nandigram, defeating TMC’s Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes, further consolidating his position within the BJP’s state leadership. Other parties made marginal gains, with the Indian National Congress winning two seats, while AJUP secured two, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and AISF won one seat each.
In a result seen as symbolically significant, Ratna Debnath, the mother of a victim in the 2024 RG Kar case, won the Panihati seat on a BJP ticket by 28,836 votes, underscoring the political impact of the incident on voter sentiment.
The election, conducted in two phases, recorded one of the highest voter turnouts in the state. Phase 1 saw a turnout of 93.19%, followed by 91.66% in Phase 2, bringing the overall participation to 92.47%, according to the Election Commission.
The BJP’s campaign centred on issues such as a crackdown on infiltration from Bangladesh, action against corruption and the “cut money” culture, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, and job creation including one crore employment opportunities alongside financial assistance of ₹3,000 for unemployed youth.
In contrast, the TMC campaigned on its “Banglar Jonno Didir 10 Protigya” platform, promising expanded financial support for women under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, ₹1,500 monthly assistance for unemployed youth, a ₹30,000 crore agriculture budget, housing for all families and piped drinking water for every household.
The outcome signals a major political shift in West Bengal, ending over a decade of TMC dominance and pointing to changing voter priorities. The decisive mandate gives the BJP a strong platform to pursue governance reforms centred on employment generation, administrative overhaul and internal security, while also indicating a more competitive political landscape in the state going forward.
