Mamata era ends in West Bengal as BJP storms to landslide win
The BJP’s landslide victory in West Bengal carries significance for Bangladesh, as the state shares long borders and migration featured prominently in the campaign.
India's ruling Narendra Modi secured a major political victory as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the West Bengal Assembly elections, ending 15 years of rule by Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal carries significance for Bangladesh, as the state shares long borders and migration featured prominently in the campaign.
According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 206 of 294 seats, while the TMC trailed with 81. The National Congress and Aam Janata Unnayan Party secured two seats each, and the CPI won one seat. Repolling was ordered in one constituency.
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Banerjee, a three-time chief minister, lost her Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata by 15,105 votes to Suvendu Adhikari, a former ally who defected to the BJP.
The result marks a decisive shift in West Bengal's political landscape, echoing past sweeping transitions from Congress to Left rule in 1977 and from Left to TMC in 2011. The BJP has never previously governed the state.
In Assam, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance returned to power for a third consecutive term, winning 102 of 126 seats. The Congress secured 19 seats, including victories by 18 Muslim candidates.
The elections, held in phases on 19 and 23 April, recorded a turnout of 92.47%, the highest since India's independence.
Modi vows strict action against 'infiltrators'
In West Bengal Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders campaigned for weeks. They focused on alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh and economic concerns under Mamata Banerjee, Reuters reported.
In his first speech after the victory, Modi said a BJP government in the state would take strict action against "infiltrators".
He described the result as a turning point, saying: "A new sunrise has taken place on the sacred land of Bengal, a dawn generations have awaited. This mandate reflects a decisive rejection of fear, appeasement and violence."
During its tenure, the TMC expanded welfare programmes targeting women, particularly direct cash transfers such as Lakshmir Bhandar. These schemes were central to its 2021 victory and remained a key plank of its campaign. Since assuming power in 2011, the TMC built an extensive welfare framework spanning income support, healthcare and education.
A furious Mamata Banerjee attributed the shock Bengal results to "loot, loot, loot", underscoring that her party, the Trinamool, will bounce back.
Other states
In Tamil Nadu, an electronics and automobile hub, film star Joseph Vijay, a first-time entrant into politics who launched his party two years ago, ousted the ruling DMK. In Kerala, an alliance led by the Congress party defeated the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), winning nearly two-thirds of the seats, reports Reuters.
The DMK and Banerjee's TMC were key pillars of the Congress-led INDIA alliance, which fought the 2024 general election and denied Modi an outright majority, forcing him to rely on regional parties to form a coalition.
Their losses are expected to weaken opposition to Modi ahead of 2029, when he is likely to seek a fourth term.
BJP's win could worsen conditions along border
Political analyst Altaf Parvez said BJP's electoral influence in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura could increase pressure on various issues along the Bangladesh-India border.
"However, the extent of the impact will depend on the relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka," he told The Business Standard yesterday evening.
Altaf Parvez said right-wing forces are gaining ground in Bangladesh, while similar political trends are also visible in Indian regions bordering Bangladesh.
He warned that this parallel shift could increase challenges for minority communities on both sides of the border and heighten tensions in border areas.
He further cautioned that there may be growing pressure in West Bengal to identify undocumented individuals as Bangladeshis and push them across the border.
In contrast, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed told reporters that political changes in West Bengal would have no impact on Bangladesh-India relations.
