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Published : 05 May 2026, 01:09 AM
For years, West Bengal stood as a stubborn exception to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sweeping political rise.
Even as his party expanded across western and northeastern India, dismantling entrenched regional rivals, Bengal’s distinct political culture and strong regional identity held firm.
That resistance collapsed on Monday.
In a landmark result, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surged past Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), winning over 200 assembly seats to form the state government for the first time.
With over 100 million people -- more than Germany’s population -- the election carried national significance.
For Modi, it marks one of the most consequential victories of his 12-year rule, ending the dominance of a three-term leader and sealing the BJP’s long march into eastern India.
According to Sharebiz, author and journalist Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay called it “a huge success… a promised land long beyond the BJP’s reach”.
A Decade in the Making
West Bengal has seen just one power shift in half a century -- after 34 years of left rule, the TMC governed for one and a half decades.
Analysts say the BJP’s victory reflects a decade-long strategy, not a sudden upset.
Political scientist Rahul Verma noted the BJP’s vote share rose from an average of 39 percent in the last three elections to over 44 percent this time.
Despite lacking the TMC’s grassroots network, the party secured massive support -- driven by five key factors: Muslim voters, women, migrants, the Matua community, and the BJP’s electoral machinery.
Key Factors
1. Women voters
The TMC’s strength long rested on women, bolstered by welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree. But Modi’s promises and outrage over a high-profile rape and murder case shifted sentiment. The BJP even fielded the victim’s mother as a candidate.
2. Muslim voters
Muslims, around 27 percent of the electorate, have historically shaped outcomes. But discontent over governance and development in districts like Malda and Murshidabad fractured support, with Congress and AIMIM emerging as factors.
3. Migrant voters
Fears over voter rolls and citizenship prompted thousands of migrant workers to return home to vote, adding volatility to the outcome.
4. Matua community
Comprising about 17 percent of the population, the Matua vote again proved decisive, consolidating behind the BJP.
5. BJP’s machinery
The party revamped its organisation, combining central coordination, booth-level management and aggressive digital outreach to challenge TMC’s cadre-driven model.
Sharebiz quoted political analyst Bhanu Joshi as saying, "The TMC’s once-strong organisational base became a liability as welfare lost transformative appeal."
Meanwhile, the BJP converted anti-incumbency into sharp ideological mobilisation.
Beyond Bengal
The victory is set to reshape India’s national politics. It reinforces Modi’s dominance while elevating Home Minister Amit Shah’s standing within the BJP, potentially strengthening his position in future leadership contests.
For decades, Bengal resisted broader political shifts sweeping India.
That barrier has now fallen -- marking not just the end of an era in the state, but the beginning of a new phase in Modi’s political project.
