Kolkata/New Delhi: In a shocking turn of events, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been voted out of power in West Bengal, marking the end of Mamata Banerjee's 15-year rule. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to govern the state for the first time since Independence.
The decisive shift came in the second phase, covering 142 seats, where the BJP won 66 seats, a significant increase from the 18 seats it won in 2021. Turnout rose sharply, with 63.4 million votes cast at 93%, against 59.9 million and 82.3% five years ago.
The BJP's victory is seen as a major political moment for the party since the 2014 Lok Sabha victory that installed Narendra Modi at the Centre. Analysts attribute the TMC's downfall to its governance failure, corruption, and the lack of rule of law, which led to a surge in extortion and crime.
The Muslim vote, on which the TMC had depended, fractured, with parties beyond the four main formations claiming 4.6% of the vote. Women voters, previously the TMC's most dependable constituency, also shifted in favor of the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee, who had campaigned ferociously, had relied heavily on her image and the perks of power, rather than her party's organisational strength. The result exposes a structural weakness that no personal effort could paper over.
