Gouri Sankar Ghosh

The Muslim vote bloc, almost taken for granted as rock solid by the 'secular' parties, delivered a shock departure from conventional behaviour in the just-concluded Bengal elections.

Two things happened in the 2026 West Bengal polls: the BJP’s consolidation of Hindu votes and the end of the Trinamool Congress’s absolute dominance over Muslim voters.

Counting for the West Bengal Assembly elections will take place on Monday, May 4. Before the results, one clear trend has emerged. Voter turnout is up across all 85 Muslim-dominated seats in Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Birbhum, and South 24 Parganas. The big question heading into Monday: who does that surge belong to?

Counting for the West Bengal Assembly elections will take place on Monday, May 4. Before the results, one clear trend has emerged. Voter turnout is up across all 85 Muslim-dominated seats in Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Birbhum, and South 24 Parganas. The big question heading into Monday: Who does that surge belong to?

The attack on Humayun Kabir was a stark reminder of Murshidabad's bloody legacy, though the scale of violence felt contained compared to past polls. What happened in Nowda seemed like an aberration on an otherwise heavily guarded day.

Clashes broke out in Murshidabad during early polling as Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir was attacked near a booth in Naoda. Kabir, now with his own party after suspension from TMC, accused ruling party workers of intimidation, prompting the Election Commission to seek a report on the incident.