BJP in, Didi out. Saffron sweeps Bengal
The BJP has wrested Bengal from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. The saffron side, which has longed for the eastern state for years, has pulled off a historic victory, marking the end of the TMC's 15-year reign.
In November last year, after the NDA's big Bihar win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar". That metaphor set the tone for the 2026 West Bengal assembly election, sending a clear message to Mamata Banerjee. Five months on, the BJP captured the eastern state it had long targeted. The party is nearing 200 seats, while the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress trails well behind in double digits, according to the Election Commission. The result marks a historic victory for the BJP and an end to the TMC's 15-year rule.
Follow live updates here - Assembly election results 2026
The exit polls gave an edge to the BJP. Five pollsters predicted the saffron side to get between 146 and 192 seats. On the other hand, two of them forecast a return of Banerjee, giving the TMC 177–205 seats. She dismissed the exit polls, saying the TMC will win over 220 seats. Her party leaders echoed the confidence, citing the example of 2021 when Banerjee crushed the predictions and won a staggering 215 seats over BJP's 77.
However, this time, the numbers turned out to be correct.
The results are significant. The BJP has held onto its stronghold in North Bengal, where the TMC has struggled to make an impact in recent years. But the party pulled off a stunner in Medinipur, getting tribal votes. Sankar Kumar Guchhait won by a margin of 38,747 votes. Then there's Burdwan, another TMC stronghold, where the BJP secured victory.
It is also the key urban pockets of Kolkata and Howrah that have shaken up the TMC and swung the election to the BJP's favour. In Presidency regions too, the saffron tide is widespread. Malda, one of the many regions where voter deletions were rampant after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has also tilted to the BJP's side. In Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee's bastion in south Kolkta, the Bengal Chief Minister has maintained her lead. The high-stakes seat where she is contesting against her ex-aide and BJP's Suvendu Adhikrai witnessed drama after counting result was not announced for a round for some time. Later, both Banerjee and Adhikari went to the counting centre and there were allegations by the TMC of vote looting and mishandling.
BJP's state chief, Samik Bhattacharya, told indiatoday.tech on Sunday that this year will be an "election of rejection". "From teacher recruitment scams to unemployment, all factors are contributing to the TMC’s decline," he said.
Mamata Banerjee's rise – from a tigress-like figure against the mighty Left, to dethroning them after 34 years, and being seen as a potential face against PM Modi – has been one for the books. But her 15-year-rule has allegedly been marked by scams and goon culture. The BJP pegged the campaigning ahead of the election to significant fear among people, catapulted by the RG Kar rape and murder in Kolkata.
Then there was Banerjee's alleged Muslim appeasement politics that the BJP claimed was hurting the Hindus in Bengal. The Trinamool Congress focused on the 'Bengali identity' and 'Bangla nijer meyekei chaye (Bengal wants its own daughter)' to evoke the cultural sentiment. They also focused on an alleged threat of a ban on non-vegeterian food, including fish, in the event of a BJP win. To quell the narrative, the saffron side sent their leaders to Bengal to eat fish on camera.
But it appears to be that the people of Bengal, of all anything, want change. A state that puts a significant focus on literature, culture, food and the classic 'cha-adda' wants change. The BJP claimed joblessness, intimidation, goon culture and scams have driven people to dismiss the TMC. While the TMC's narrative highlighted a supposed Hindi imposition in Bengal if the BJP win and celebrated the Bengali identity and culture.
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee urged TMC workers in a video message to not be dejected as multiple more rounds of counting are left. "Don't lose hearts," she said.
On the other hand, celebrations have begun in Kolkata and many regions in Bengal. Central forces have been deployed at Nabanna, the state secretariat.
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In November last year, after the NDA's big Bihar win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar". That metaphor set the tone for the 2026 West Bengal assembly election, sending a clear message to Mamata Banerjee. Five months on, the BJP captured the eastern state it had long targeted. The party is nearing 200 seats, while the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress trails well behind in double digits, according to the Election Commission. The result marks a historic victory for the BJP and an end to the TMC's 15-year rule.
Follow live updates here - Assembly election results 2026
The exit polls gave an edge to the BJP. Five pollsters predicted the saffron side to get between 146 and 192 seats. On the other hand, two of them forecast a return of Banerjee, giving the TMC 177–205 seats. She dismissed the exit polls, saying the TMC will win over 220 seats. Her party leaders echoed the confidence, citing the example of 2021 when Banerjee crushed the predictions and won a staggering 215 seats over BJP's 77.
However, this time, the numbers turned out to be correct.
The results are significant. The BJP has held onto its stronghold in North Bengal, where the TMC has struggled to make an impact in recent years. But the party pulled off a stunner in Medinipur, getting tribal votes. Sankar Kumar Guchhait won by a margin of 38,747 votes. Then there's Burdwan, another TMC stronghold, where the BJP secured victory.
It is also the key urban pockets of Kolkata and Howrah that have shaken up the TMC and swung the election to the BJP's favour. In Presidency regions too, the saffron tide is widespread. Malda, one of the many regions where voter deletions were rampant after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has also tilted to the BJP's side. In Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee's bastion in south Kolkta, the Bengal Chief Minister has maintained her lead. The high-stakes seat where she is contesting against her ex-aide and BJP's Suvendu Adhikrai witnessed drama after counting result was not announced for a round for some time. Later, both Banerjee and Adhikari went to the counting centre and there were allegations by the TMC of vote looting and mishandling.
BJP's state chief, Samik Bhattacharya, told indiatoday.tech on Sunday that this year will be an "election of rejection". "From teacher recruitment scams to unemployment, all factors are contributing to the TMC’s decline," he said.
Mamata Banerjee's rise – from a tigress-like figure against the mighty Left, to dethroning them after 34 years, and being seen as a potential face against PM Modi – has been one for the books. But her 15-year-rule has allegedly been marked by scams and goon culture. The BJP pegged the campaigning ahead of the election to significant fear among people, catapulted by the RG Kar rape and murder in Kolkata.
Then there was Banerjee's alleged Muslim appeasement politics that the BJP claimed was hurting the Hindus in Bengal. The Trinamool Congress focused on the 'Bengali identity' and 'Bangla nijer meyekei chaye (Bengal wants its own daughter)' to evoke the cultural sentiment. They also focused on an alleged threat of a ban on non-vegeterian food, including fish, in the event of a BJP win. To quell the narrative, the saffron side sent their leaders to Bengal to eat fish on camera.
But it appears to be that the people of Bengal, of all anything, want change. A state that puts a significant focus on literature, culture, food and the classic 'cha-adda' wants change. The BJP claimed joblessness, intimidation, goon culture and scams have driven people to dismiss the TMC. While the TMC's narrative highlighted a supposed Hindi imposition in Bengal if the BJP win and celebrated the Bengali identity and culture.
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee urged TMC workers in a video message to not be dejected as multiple more rounds of counting are left. "Don't lose hearts," she said.
On the other hand, celebrations have begun in Kolkata and many regions in Bengal. Central forces have been deployed at Nabanna, the state secretariat.
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