GUWAHATI: In a landmark political shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form its first-ever government in West Bengal, securing a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections and ending the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)’s 15-year rule.
According to official results, the BJP won 206 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark in the 293-member Assembly. The AITC secured 81 seats, including one seat won uncontested, while the Indian National Congress (INC) and Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) won 2 seats each. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and All India Secular Front (AISF) secured one seat each.
The verdict marks a dramatic reversal in the state’s political landscape, with the BJP breaching what was long considered an impenetrable stronghold of the Trinamool Congress.
In a major personal setback, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her Bhabanipur seat to Suvendu Adhikari, her former close aide who had switched to the BJP and currently serves as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly. The defeat underscores the scale of the political shift in the state.
Notably, this election was conducted following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, during which nearly 90 lakh voters were removed, making it one of the most significant pre-election exercises in the state’s recent history.