India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP party has secured control of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold, in key recent elections. The Election Commission released partial results showing the BJP won at least 124 seats out of 294 in the state assembly and was leading in 83 others.
This would be a significant breakthrough for Modi’s party, which had long sought to dislodge the All India Trinamool Congress government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP has never governed West Bengal, where Banerjee – one of Modi’s most prominent critics – has held power since 2011.
Opposition parties have sharply criticized the polls in West Bengal after millions of voters were removed from electoral rolls by the Election Commission.
Three other states also participated in the latest election. India, a South Asian country with over 1.4 billion people, is divided into 28 states and eight federal territories. Staggered state elections are held across the nation, with several state polls scheduled almost every year.
The outcome in West Bengal is expected to boost Modi’s standing and strengthen his position midway through his third term in office. The 2024 national election forced his ruling party to rely on regional allies to form a government. He is expected to run for a record fourth term in 2029.
Addressing supporters at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Modi said the results pointed to the party’s widening appeal in a state where it had historically struggled to gain ground. “A new chapter has been added to Bengal’s destiny,” he told a cheering crowd.
India’s opposition has struggled to mount a unified and sustained challenge to the BJP’s dominance nationwide. Banerjee, one of Modi’s most prominent national rivals, was weakened by her defeat in West Bengal, which is likely to reduce her leverage within an opposition bloc already divided by regional power struggles.
In Tamil Nadu, movie star Joseph Vijay ousted the ruling DMK party, continuing a trend of electing popular figures from the entertainment industry. In Kerala, the Indian National Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist government, ending leftist rule in one of its last remaining strongholds. Modi’s party also returned to power in the northeastern state of Assam for a third consecutive term.