‘Hegemonic power’: How Modi’s BJP won India’s Bengal for the first time

Key Points:

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won a historic majority in West Bengal's provincial elections, securing or leading in 200 out of 294 seats, marking a significant breakthrough in a state long dominated by Mamata Banerjee's All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).
• The BJP's victory is attributed to a combination of factors including effective election campaigning, anti-incumbency sentiments against the TMC, and religious polarization, particularly Hindu-Muslim divisions, despite West Bengal's substantial Muslim population.
• The election was marked by controversy over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which removed over nine million voters, disproportionately affecting Muslims and sparking accusations from opposition parties of disenfranchisement and bias towards the BJP.
• Mamata Banerjee, facing a significant defeat, accused central forces of oppression and vowed to continue fighting, signaling potential political unrest and challenges in the post-election period.
• The BJP's win in West Bengal, alongside victories in other states, strengthens Modi's national political standing and extends the party's influence, offsetting previous setbacks in the 2024 national elections.