The BJP’s victory in West Bengal immediately causes all the political parties in the state to adjust their plans. Mahua Moitra, a TMC leader, said that what the people want is most important (she called it “supreme”), and at the same time her party was getting ready to officially question certain aspects of the election.
Kolkata’s balance of power has changed very quickly. The BJP’s large number of seats gives them control, but the difference in the percentage of votes shows there’s still a lot of support for other parties that won’t disappear quickly. The difference between the number of seats won and the actual number of votes will likely be a central issue in the first few months of the new government.
What shifted in Bengal’s mandate
The BJP got 207 seats (including those they were leading in) and passed the 147 seats needed for a majority in the 293-seat assembly. The TMC ended up with 80. Congress and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party each won two seats, the CPI(M) and the All India Secular Front one each.
The percentage of votes shows the election was actually quite close, even though the number of seats won makes it look one-sided. The BJP received 45.84% of the votes, and the TMC 40.80%. Results were confirmed in 254 areas, and the trends in the remaining areas clearly showed a major change was happening.
For quick reference, here are the headline numbers from the tally so far:
– BJP seats: 207
– TMC seats: 80
– Congress seats: 2
– Aam Janata Unnayan Party seats: 2
– CPI(M) seats: 1
– All India Secular Front seats: 1
– Majority mark: 147
– Vote shares: 45.84% vs 40.80%
Moitra’s acceptance, TMC’s stance
On X (formerly Twitter), Mahua Moitra stated, “The people’re opinion is what matters. If Bengal wanted the BJP, then Bengal has the BJP. We respect that.” This showed she accepted the result, but also reaffirmed what the TMC believes in.
Moitra also said, “We fought well against incredible difficulties on a very unfair playing field, and I’m proud of my leader and my party for that.” She repeated, “We will continue to defend a country that isn’t religious, where the constitution, not just a simple majority, is the final decision. Jai Hind.”
A personal setback for Mamata Banerjee
Bhabanipur, which is considered Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold, was a significant loss for her. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari beat her by 15,105 votes: he got 73,917 votes, while Banerjee received 58,812, showing how much things have changed at both the party and the leader level.
Counting-day dispute and allegations
As people started to accept the outcome, the TMC strongly protested the counting in Bhabanipur. Kalyan Banerjee, a senior TMC leader and a lawyer at the Supreme Court, explained what happened in a phone call with Mamata Banerjee. She said the result was “stolen” and a “dishonest, dirty trick” by the Election Commission.
She said she was ahead after the 16th round of counting, but then “things suddenly changed”. She said there were forced interruptions and claimed, “In the remaining rounds in the Bhabanipur area (which was completely our territory), a few thugs went into the counting centre, with Election Commission officials. They attacked me and with the help of the CRPF, threw my representatives out.”
She also said TMC people counting the votes were replaced by people from the opposing parties, and that she was not allowed into the room. She questioned how the electronic voting machines were handled, said the strongrooms (where the machines are kept) were moved without being properly locked, mentioned power cuts, referred to exclusions based on SIR (a system of voter information), and said the party will take legal action, with all the proof they have gathered.
Reports of unrest after results
Aside from the counting itself, the police reported vandalism and arson at TMC offices in several places. There were incidents in Tollygunge, Baruipur, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Baharampur, Howrah and Kasba, which shows there is tension in those areas as people have understood the results.
At Bijoygarh-Netajjnagar in Tollygunge, a campaign office linked to TMC leader Aroop Biswas was damaged, with signs broken. According to the police, at Ruby Crossing, the office of TMC councillor Sushanta Ghosh was attacked by a group of people who were apparently holding BJP flags.
The TMC responded to these incidents with a statement saying the BJP had shown “who they really are” now that they’re in power. They described the events as “vandalism and mess” and said the situation had fallen to “low politics”. The BJP did not give a detailed answer to these claims in the statements that were given.
What to watch next
The focus is now on the BJP forming the government, checking the Bhabanipur count in the courts, and getting things calmed down in the places where there was violence. The numbers clearly allow the BJP to take over. How the opposition parties act next will show how well this new win will lead to a stable government.
Key near-term developments to track:
– Steps towards a BJP-led swearing-in
– Any court filings by the TMC
– Election Commission’s formal response
– Policing of post-result violence
