BJP created history in the West Bengal Assembly election by winning 206 seats. Therefore, the party will form government in the state for the first time. Also, BJP secured a two-thirds majority, while TMC fell sharply to 80 seats. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee herself lost from Bhawanipur. Consequently, her defeat deepened TMC’s political setback.
Anti-Incumbency Hits TMC After 15 Years
In 2011, Mamata Banerjee led TMC against the Left and captured power. Then, she won three straight elections and held Bengal for 15 years. However, anti-incumbency became a major reason behind TMC’s defeat. Moreover, BJP strongly raised corruption, violence, alleged graft, and law-and-order issues. As a result, the election outcome helped BJP.
Hindu Vote Polarisation Helps BJP
Political analysts believe Muslim voter support helped Mamata retain power for years. Bengal has nearly 30 percent Muslim voters, and most support TMC. However, this election showed clear Hindu vote polarisation. Therefore, BJP gained from that shift. Consequently, the party performed better even in Muslim-majority Malda and Murshidabad districts.
Women Voters Move Away From TMC
BJP also entered TMC’s women vote bank during this election. Earlier data shows women supported Mamata Banerjee on a large scale. However, this time, the picture changed. Moreover, BJP targeted her government over Sandeshkhali and RG Kar incidents. Also, BJP fielded the RG Kar victim’s mother, and she won the election.
SIR Debate Adds Pressure On TMC
Meanwhile, SIR remained a major election issue in Bengal. BJP called it necessary for removing alleged illegal infiltrators from the state. However, TMC called it an attack on voters’ rights. During SIR, officials removed more than 90 lakh names from voter lists. Moreover, Mamata Banerjee alleged SIR removed most names from TMC-influenced seats. Therefore, the result shows SIR affected TMC.
Scams, Jobs, And Employee Anger Hurt Mamata
Finally, BJP cornered Mamata’s government over unemployment, recruitment scams, and alleged system corruption. Youth anger grew after cancellation of 26,000 recruitments linked to the teacher recruitment scam. Also, BJP raised this issue strongly during campaigning. Besides, government employees’ anger damaged TMC further. They have long demanded the seventh pay commission. Yet, they still receive salaries under the sixth pay commission.
