From red to green to saffron? BJP eyes power shift in Bengal as Mamata defends her turf | India News
New Delhi: The ‘people’ of Bengal have traditionally displayed a deep-rooted political loyalty, often rallying decisively behind a single political force and allowing it to rule for extended periods. In the more than eight decades since independence, West Bengal’s political journey has not been a mere sequence of changing hands of government, but a story shaped by distinct, dominant eras, each marked by ideological convictions and prolonged mandates.The 2026 assembly elections, however, have injected a new intensity into this legacy. What is looming is not just another electoral contest, but a high-stakes, high-voltage battle between the long-serving chief ministers. Mamata Banerjee and a determined, aggressive expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party brigade.
Didi’s 15-year rule now faces its toughest challenge yet. D BJP Waged a relentless, ground-up campaign, deployed its top leadership and intensified attacks on Trinamool Congress. The saffron party high command is so emphatic that “the sun has set for the TMC in Bengal.”But to understand the weight of the BJP’s claim, the story of how Bengal’s political journey has developed needs to be told.
Congress Era: Power Bases and Post-Partition Reconstruction
Like most states in newly independent India, the initial political leadership in Bengal was formed by the Congress. Bidhan Chandra Roy, one of the most important icons in the state’s history, became the first Chief Minister at a time when Bengal was recovering from the devastating effects of Partition in 1947.Bidhan Chandra’s leadership extended beyond regular rule. He played an important role in stabilizing a fractured society and laid the foundation for the administrative and infrastructural structure of modern Bengal. Among his lasting contributions was the development of Salt Lake City, a planned township that epitomized visionary urbanization.Calcutta, then Calcutta – was not only the capital of the state, but also the political nerve center of the Congress Party. The city has hosted several landmark sessions of the party over the decades, becoming a stage for defining moments in India’s freedom struggle and political evolution. From the first singing of Vande Mataram to the chanting of Swaraj, Bengali was at the heart of the Congress.But the supremacy of the Congress gradually eroded. Internal rifts, shifting political aspirations and national-level upheavals have weakened its hold. The rise of the Bengali Congress marked the first serious break with its monopoly power, ushering in coalition politics and opening the door to alternative ideologies.The death of ambitious national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri further destabilized the party structure and its influence. The 1967 elections, often described as a “political earthquake”, dealt a decisive blow to Congress dominance in Bengal.
The Red Age: Rise and Consolidation the left dominance
Even as Indira Gandhi consolidated her political authority at the national level, especially after the 1971 electoral victory and the Indo-Pakistani war, Bengal moved in a different direction.The Congress continued to lose ground in the state, and its eventual Chief Minister Siddharth Shankar Roy came to represent the end of an era. The political vacuum was quickly filled by the Left Front, which came to power in 1977 on the back of strong grassroots solidarity and ideological clarity.At the center of this transformation was Jyoti Bose, an ardent Marxist leader who would become one of India’s longest-serving chief ministers. Under his leadership, Bengal witnessed a profound restructuring of its rural and administrative system.Key initiatives such as Operation Barga redefined land relations by strengthening the rights of sharecroppers, while the institutionalization of the Panchayati Raj system in 1978 empowered decentralized governance and local bodies. These reforms created a sustainable political base for the Left.The Left Front ruled Bengal uninterruptedly from 1977 to 2011, one of the longest continuous tenures for any democratically elected communist government in the world. By 2000, Bose resigned due to health reasons, passing the baton to Comrade Buddhadev Bhattacharya. While Bhattacharya tried to recast the left’s image by focusing on industrialization, the ground reality began to change. Discontent was building, and a new political force under Mamata Banerjee was gathering momentum.
Compassionate Moments: Disruption and Dominance
Mamata emerged as a new strong leader in the state.Mamata broke decades of Left dominance in the 2011 assembly elections by emerging as a fierce and relentless competitor. Led by the Trinamool Congress, she won a sweeping mandate of 184 seats and became the first woman Chief Minister of Bengal.
His victory was not only a change of government, but a complete political reset. The Congress and the Left, once the major forces in the state, were pushed to the margins.
The BJP, despite ruling at the center for nearly 6 years under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was an insignificant player in Bengal politics at that time.Mamata strengthened her hold in 2016, returning to power with an even bigger mandate, surpassing the 200-seat tally. At this stage, his supremacy appears unchallenged, with opposing forces fragmented and struggling to regain relevance.His style of governance, welfare campaigns, and strong personal connection with the electorate ensured that the Trinamool Congress remained the central pole of Bengal politics.
Rise of the BJP: A powerful force from the fringes
In 2021 the political balance began to shift dramatically.The BJP has launched an unprecedented campaign in Bengal, led by its star Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also considered the “Chanakya” for the saffron party. The scale, intensity and resources marked a new phase in the state’s electoral politicsWhile Didi retained power, the BJP’s performance indicated a major breakthrough. Winning 77 seats in the 294-member assembly, the party emerged as the main opposition party, leapfrogging both the Congress and the Left.
The strong rise of the BJP has, in fact, pushed the Congress and the Left to the furthest edge of insignificance.This rise was significant not only numerically but also symbolically. The party that once struggled to make electoral inroads in Bengal has now positioned itself as the primary challenger to the ruling establishment under TMC supremo Mamata.
2026 Showdown: Continuity or Change?
Now, as Bengal records one of its highest ever voter turnouts and witnesses intense, high-decibel campaigning, the stakes have never been higher.Is the state signaling change? Has the “sun set for the TMC in Bengal” as claimed by the BJP leadership?Also the traditional notion of high voter-return has been interpreted as an undercurrent against the incumbents.The contest has increasingly taken on a bipolar character, knocking out other political players and turning the election into a direct showdown between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.The BJP, buoyed by its 2021 gains, has even fielded heavyweight candidates in traditional TMC strongholds like Bhavanipur and other constituencies in South Bengal. As a clear message – no seat is being given up without a fight.Several pollsters have also put the BJP ahead of Mamata’s TMC in their exit poll predictions. This may be the first sign of discomfort for Didi. Poll surveys predict that the TMC will no longer be the single strongest and leading force, as the BJP has usurped it. In 2021, Mamata faced her former ally and BJP leader Subvendu Adhikari in Nandigram and suffered a rare personal defeat despite retaining power across the state.
This time, the dynamics seem more complicated, with both sides locked in a strong rivalry from Bhavanipur.The elections also saw a massive administrative exercise, including a particularly intensive revision process, criticized by Mamata but defended by the Election Commission, adding another layer of political tension.Will it continue the long tradition of supporting a dominant power, or will it embrace change and write a new chapter?The answer lies with the ‘Manush’ of Bengal.
