BJP Set to Form Government in West Bengal with Two-Thirds Majority

Kolkata, May 2026 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to form the next government in West Bengal after securing a decisive two-thirds majority in the Assembly elections, marking the end of the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress.

In the 294-member Assembly, the threshold for a two-thirds majority is 196 seats. Results were declared for 293 constituencies on Monday, with polling in the Falta Assembly segment of South 24 Parganas district set to be re-conducted on May 21 following directions from the Election Commission of India. The results for that constituency will be announced on May 24.

Out of the 293 seats declared, the BJP secured a commanding 206 seats, well above the required majority mark. The Trinamool Congress finished a distant second with 81 seats. The Indian National Congress won two seats, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) managed to secure just one. Smaller parties, including the All India Secular Front and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, won one and two seats respectively.

In terms of vote share, the BJP garnered 46 per cent of the total votes polled, significantly ahead of the Trinamool Congress at 41 per cent. The CPI(M)-led Left Front secured around 4 per cent, while the Congress managed 3 per cent. Other parties collectively accounted for the remaining 6 per cent.

The scale of the BJP’s victory is reflected in its performance across districts. In at least ten districts — including Cooch Behar, East Midnapore, West Burdwan, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Bankura and Purulia — the Trinamool Congress failed to win a single seat. The ruling party also suffered setbacks in tribal- and Matua-dominated constituencies, areas that had previously been considered its strongholds.

Several prominent members of the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were defeated in their respective constituencies. Among those who lost were Chandrima Bhattacharya, Dr Shashi Panja, Sujit Bose, Bratya Basu, Udayan Guha and Aroop Biswas, highlighting the extent of the electoral shift.

The elections also saw the emergence of journalist-turned politicians within the BJP ranks. Swapan Dasgupta won from Rashbehari in south Kolkata, Jagannath Chattopadhyay secured victory from Suri in Birbhum district, and Santu Pan triumphed from Tarakeswar in Hooghly district.

In contrast, journalist-turned politician Devdeep Purohit, considered a key Trinamool Congress figure and a potential finance ministerial candidate, was defeated in Khardah by a margin exceeding 21,000 votes.

Another notable result came from the Panihati constituency in North 24 Parganas, where BJP candidate Swapna Debnath emerged victorious. Her win drew attention due to her personal background, as she is the mother of a junior doctor who was the victim of a widely reported crime at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024.

With a clear mandate secured, the BJP is now set to usher in a new political phase in West Bengal, ending over a decade of Trinamool Congress governance and signaling a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.