Local pitch, softer tone, welfare focus: How BJP breached the Bengal fortress

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) bid to shed the "Bohiragoto" (outsider) tag, success in stoking the fear of illegal immigrants, and a campaign that avoided personal comments on West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, even while highlighting misgovernance, worked in West Bengal, giving the party its first-ever electoral success in the state, party leaders said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters celebrate the majority in the West Bengal assembly elections, in Kolkata on Monday. (ANI)Till around 11.30pm, the BJP had won 206 assembly seats - ensuring that the state that birthed Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the BJP's progenitor- the Jana Sangh, will have its first BJP CM. Track latest updates in assembly elections 2026 here Leaders cited above also credited the party's localised campaign, which used slogans such as "Joy Ma Kali" and "Joy Ma Durga" instead of "Joy Shree Ram" and a focus on booth- level management, for its victory. "The Lotus blooms in West Bengal! The 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections will be remembered forever. People's power has prevailed and BJP's politics of good governance has triumphed. I bow to each and every person of West Bengal. The people have given a spectacular mandate to BJP and I assure them that our Party will do everything possible to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the people of West Bengal. We will provide a Government that ensures opportunity and dignity to all sections of society," PM Modi posted on X. Monday's win means the BJP has now consolidated its hold over India's East, with the exception of Jharkhand; Odisha and Bihar have BJP CMs (their first) and now Bengal will have its own. "We have been successful in dismantling the opposition's narrative that the BJP is a force in the Hindi-speaking belt and that our ideology, based on the premise of nation first, has limited appeal. Mamata Banerjee's loss is not only limited to the state, but is a message to the INDIA grouping as well," said a senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to many senior leaders involved in the BJP's campaign, the party changed tactics after its 2021 loss to establish itself as a home-grown entity. This time, the BJP chose state leaders to lead the campaign on the ground, with key strategists such as union minister Bhupendra Yadav and national general secretary Sunil Bansal behind the scenes. After veteran BJP leader, Samik Bhattacharya, was elected as the party's state president, it sought to bridge the gap with old timers who felt sidelined over the years. "Several old timers were brought back and they all worked for the party this time. Some such as Ritesh Tiwari, were given tickets others were given some other posts in the party," said a second senior leader. Tiwari won in Kashipur - Belgachia by a margin of 1,651 votes. The big focus of the campaign was threat from the "ghuspaithia" or illegal settlers. The fear was underscored by everyone from the karyakarta (volunteer) at the lowest rung to the Prime Minister. And thus, the BJP pushed that the incumbent overlooked the dangers of a porous border for the sake of votes, a third senior leader said. Union home minister Amit Shah, who oversaw every minute detail of the strategy and campaign, and stayed in the state for at least a fortnight, trained his guns at the state government for not allowing border to be fenced. Addressing multiple rallies, he declared that the BJP would not allow India to become a "dharamshala" (shelter) and would "detect, delete, and deport" all illegal settlers. Instead of directly attacking Banerjee at rallies, the PM referred to the TMC-led government as "Nirmam Sarkar", highlighting crimes against women, such as the rape and murder of a medical student at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, the rape in Kasba law college and attacks on women in Sandeshkhali, which leaders said helped to stoke the anti-incumbency sentiment. "Remember the sarcastic tone 'Didi-o-Didi' which Modi used umpteen times to attack Mamata Banerjee during his campaigns ahead of the 2021 assembly polls? You haven't heard a single such remark this time. The personal attacks against the sitting chief minister are missing entirely," said Rabindranath Bhattacharya, former professor of political science in Burdwan University. "Political watchers were confident that the TMC would gain from the SIR controversy. But the BJP was able to take control of the narrative…we said these were names who were either illegal settlers or deceased. There may have been some exceptions, but largely this was an exercise by the election commission of cleaning up the electoral rolls," said a fourth senior party leader, referring to the 9.1 million deletions under the SIR. The party machinery also worked to build on resentment against administrative lapses, infrastructure, employment gaps, law and order, which bolstered working class support . The party's manifesto offered"Bhoroshar Shopoth" (oath of trust) focussing on issues of immediate concern and balancing regional aspirations. "We promised ₹3,000 for women and unemployed graduates, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission - all of these are issues that resonate with the people. There is something for everyone from students to the farmers and those who want Bengal to shed the communist vestiges and grow into a bustling economy," said the first leader quoted above. The monthly cash incentive was used to dent the TMC's women vote base and the promise of launching the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which assures free healthcare of up to ₹5 lakh per family, countered the Swasth Sathi health insurance scheme. One of the biggest strengths of the TMC was in its welfare schemes , many involving cash handouts, launched by the state administration over the years - Lakshmir Bhandar, widow pension, and Krishak Bandhu. The BJP, in its campaign in 2021, had criticised the schemes but didn't come up with any alternatives which led to TMC alleging that the BJP would stop the schemes if it came to power. "This time, however, the party countered the TMC by promising various schemes if it comes to power with double the benefits. While the TMC gives ₹1,500 to women under the Lakshmir Bhandar, the BJP promised ₹3000 under its Matrishakti Bharosa Card," said a fifth senior BJP leader. Unlike past elections, the BJP worked on booth-level management. Party leaders said that a booth-level analysis identified around 180 seats where the party would put up a fight. This was in addition to the strongholds in north Bengal and tribal districts. Biswanath Chakraborty, a political commentator, said the BJP was able to highlight corruption and focus on hyper-local issues. "The Bohiragoto (outsider) tag was an impediment…even as it was fallacious. The Jana Sangh's founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a son of Bengal. The state is the land of Shakti (goddess) and cultural richness that is intently Bharatiya. So, how does a party that espouses all these become the outsider," said the second party leader quoted above. "This historic victory for the BJP in Bengal is the result of the sacrifices, struggles, and martyrdom of our countless workers. It is a triumph of the patience of those families who, even while enduring violence, never abandoned the saffron flag," said home minister Amit Shah, addressing an event in New Delhi convened to celebrate the election result. Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools.Read More Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.Read More