BJP secures West Bengal majority to end Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year rule

The saffron party secures over 200 seats in the assembly elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the next government in West Bengal, bringing a decisive end to the 15-year tenure of Mamata Banerjee as chief minister and her Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Latest data from the Election Commission shows the BJP leading or winning over 200 seats within the Legislative Assembly, comfortably surpassing the majority threshold on Monday.

While the BJP won 207 seats, the TMC saw its tally reduced to 80 seats, a sharp decline from the 215 it secured in 2021.

The result marks a tectonic shift in the political landscape of the eastern Indian state, which borders Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing supporters on Monday evening, described the verdict as a "blooming lotus" for Bengal, pledging to implement central welfare schemes, including the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme, in the first cabinet meeting.

The campaign, defined by intense polarisation and legal disputes over electoral rolls, saw high voter turnout of approximately 92.8 percent.

While Banerjee alleged irregularities during the counting process, the scale of the "Saffron" surge across North Bengal and traditional Trinamool strongholds suggests a broad consolidation of the opposition vote.

Security remains high across the state, with over 250,000 central security personnel deployed to prevent post-poll violence.

The official certification of all seats is expected by early Tuesday, marking the first time a non-regional party will govern West Bengal since the end of Communist rule in 2011.