Following a decisive triumph in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now intensely focused on its next major political battleground: West Bengal. The saffron party aims to dislodge Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the upcoming 2026 assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has explicitly stated that the Bihar victory is a stepping stone for Bengal, vowing to end what he terms ‘jungle raj’ in the state. He emphasized that the continued re-election of the NDA government signifies a commitment to a pro-people, pro-governance, and pro-development agenda. This shift, he suggested, marks a new era in Indian politics. West Bengal has long been a challenging frontier for the BJP. Despite significant efforts to expand its presence since 2014, the party’s performance in the 2016 state elections was dismal, securing only three out of 291 contested seats. However, a stronger showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning 18 out of 42 seats, energized the BJP. This momentum led to extensive campaigning for the 2021 assembly polls, with top leaders actively participating. Although the BJP secured only 77 seats, it established itself as the principal opposition, nearly quadrupling its vote share to 38%. Political analysts, however, remain cautious about whether the Bihar success will automatically translate to West Bengal. They highlight critical factors like women voters, welfare schemes, and the ‘SIR’ (Social Inclusion and Representation) model as potential game-changers. The effectiveness with which parties navigate these elements leading up to the polls will be crucial.
