BJP shines in the east amid promise of change and continuity
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Poriborton (meaning change in Bengali) was the big call across West Bengal, and poriborton it was when the final results emerged on Monday.The Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to register a watershed win in the 294-member assembly to unseat the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) and end a 15-year rule.As of 5.30 pm, BJP had a vote share of 45.4% and had won or was leading in 202 of the 293 seats for which results are available. It was largely a binary contest, and the other parties, like the Indian National Congress (INC) and Communist parties, barely registered a presence in seats.In the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP had emerged as the leading opposition party with 77 seats and around 38% vote share, up from a mere three seats and 10% vote share in 2016.
The TMC had won comprehensively with a 48% vote share and 211 seats.If Bengal voted for change, Assam, further to the east, opted for continuity. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma proved his mass politics and governance credentials, with BJP winning or leading on 82 of the 126 seats as of 5.30 pm.
The main opposition party, Congress, was reduced to 19. This was a significant leg up for the ruling party and a clear pro-incumbency vote.In the 2021 state election, the BJP had won 60 seats with a 33.2% vote share, while the Congress won 29 seats and cornered a vote share of 29.2%.Change or more of the same—both mandates convey a clear message with respect to the incumbent and reflect how voters prioritize key day-to-day issues beyond all else.Mamata Banerjee, loved and revered in her home state and referred to as ‘didi’ by both supporters and detractors, lost to a potent political
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