BJP wins West Bengal in historic verdict, ending Mamata Banerjee's 15-year rule

Kolkata, May 4. The 2026 West Bengal Assembly election has redrawn the political map of the state. The BJP won a historic mandate, ending the Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule.

206 versus 80

Results were declared for 293 of 294 seats, with the Falta seat scheduled for repolling. The BJP won 206 seats while the TMC was reduced to roughly 80. The Congress-Left alliance picked up only 7 seats.

Mamata Banerjee's defeat

BJP's chief ministerial candidate Suvendu Adhikari defeated outgoing CM Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by about 15,000 votes. Banerjee initially refused to resign but eventually submitted her resignation to the Governor on May 6.

Why TMC lost

Analysts list multiple causes — the R.G. Kar Medical College tragedy, the Sandeshkhali episode, the Bengali identity-versus-illegal-immigration debate, and persistent youth unemployment. The BJP aggressively pushed a "development plus security" model.

Historical significance

This is the first time since West Bengal's assembly elections began in 1937 that a right-wing party has formed the government. Bengal was historically a Congress stronghold, then a Left fortress, and a TMC bastion since 2011. The BJP's rise marks a longer political cycle shift.

Impact on national politics

The win brings the BJP closer to a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha. Ahead of the 2029 general elections, it is a major psychological boost. Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as CM on May 7.