With a resounding victory secured in Bihar, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is now setting its sights on West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that his party’s next significant electoral objective is to win the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections and end the reign of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC). Modi stated that the Bihar mandate is a precursor to a BJP victory in Bengal, promising to bring an end to the perceived ‘jungle raj’ and usher in an era of effective governance. The BJP’s ambition to expand into West Bengal is not new; it has been a strategic priority since 2014. However, the state has proven resistant, with the party winning only three seats in the 2016 assembly elections. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections marked a turning point, with the BJP winning 18 seats. This success fueled an aggressive campaign for the 2021 assembly polls, leading to a significant increase in seats won to 77 and a substantial rise in vote share to 38%, establishing the BJP as the primary opposition. Political observers are divided on the direct impact of the Bihar win on West Bengal. They point to specific local variables that will likely shape the upcoming elections, including the mobilization of women voters, the effectiveness of government welfare schemes, and the overall political narrative. The strategic response of political parties to these factors will be critical in determining the electoral outcome.
