The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s ruling party at the federal level, has secured a sweeping victory in West Bengal state election, defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) by a wide margin, according to results reported by The Indian Express.
Early reports suggest that the BJP won by more than 111 assembly seats, marking a significant political shift in the eastern state that shares a border with Bangladesh. The outcome is seen as a major setback for Banerjee, who has governed West Bengal for nearly 15 years.
The report also notes that the election campaign was influenced by controversy surrounding a recent revision of electoral rolls carried out by the central authorities.
Critics of the process alleged that it disproportionately affected Muslim voters, while officials and BJP leaders argued that the revision was intended to remove ineligible entries, which they have described as including illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
The BJP has maintained that the exercise was necessary to ensure the integrity of the voter list, though opposition parties strongly dispute this claim.
In addition to its win in West Bengal, the BJP has retained power in Assam, where it is already the incumbent ruling party. The party has also reportedly made electoral gains in Kerala.
Vote counting was underway on Monday across five Indian states and union territories - West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the union territory of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) - as results continued to be declared in phases.
The overall outcome reflects shifting political dynamics in several key regions ahead of future national political contests.
