Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party has swept to an electoral victory in a state long held by one of his biggest adversaries.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won at least 206 out of the 294 assembly seats, according to the Election Commission of India’s Website. This marks the BJP’s first-ever win in the eastern state.
The victory should put Modi on a stronger footing as he confronts a series of economic and foreign policy challenges, including high unemployment rates and a pending US trade deal, ahead of the general election in 2029.
“The 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections will be remembered forever,” Modi, 75, said on social media. “People’s power has prevailed and BJP’s politics of good governance has triumphed.”
“BJP’s record win in West Bengal would not be possible without the efforts and struggles of countless Karyakartas (workers) over generations,” he added.
Thousands of BJP party workers, supporters and local residents turned out to celebrate in Kolkata late on Monday. They waved party flags, danced atop their cars and swayed to music, blocking several key areas of the city.
The result was the culmination of a long and aggressive election season that dislodged one of the most powerful political figures of the nation—Mamata Banerjee.
The 71-year-old Banerjee, visibly agitated after the results, accused the BJP and the Election Commission of manipulating the results. “BJP looted more than 100 seats,” she said, surrounded by security personnel on Monday evening. Banerjee also lost in her own constituency, Bhawanipur.
Political analyst Sushila Ramaswamy said the BJP’s victory in West Bengal would consolidate the party’s hold over eastern India. “It’s a tremendous victory,” she said.
“It also shows the electoral machinery of the BJP, how effective and how much detailing goes into their election campaign. And it establishes the BJP as the dominant party in the country.”
