Modi's BJP conquers Bengal, one of India's toughest political frontiers
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the West Bengal state election, marking a significant political breakthrough in a region long resistant to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's influence. The victory ends Mamata Banerjee's 15-year rule and signals the BJP's successful expansion into eastern India. The result reflects a shift in voter alignment, with the BJP gaining ground despite the Trinamool Congress's strong grassroots network and welfare-based support base.
- ▪The BJP's win in West Bengal ends Mamata Banerjee's 15-year tenure as chief minister.
- ▪West Bengal's electorate is larger than Germany's, making the state election highly significant.
- ▪The BJP secured over 44% of the vote, up from its previous consistent share of around 39%.
- ▪Unlike in other states, the BJP achieved this victory without a deeply entrenched organizational structure in Bengal.
- ▪The party's appeal expanded by promising enhanced welfare benefits, challenging the Trinamool Congress's long-standing support among women and minority groups.
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Modi's BJP conquers Bengal, one of India's toughest political frontiers13 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSoutik BiswasIndia correspondentHindustan Times via Getty ImagesPrime Minister Narendra Modi during a road show in support of BJP candidates in Bengal For years, India's West Bengal state was the great exception to Narendra Modi's political advance. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had swept through India's Hindi-speaking heartland, expanded into the west and north-east, and overwhelmed once-formidable regional rivals. Yet Bengal - argumentative and steeped in a self-image of cultural exceptionalism - remained stubbornly resistant.That made this state election unusually consequential.
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