The Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s decisive victory in the November 13 Assembly bypolls in West Bengal has underscored the BJP’s ongoing decline in the state, sparking unrest within the Opposition party’s ranks.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC swept all six contested seats, significantly increasing its margins from the 2021 Assembly elections. Notably, the party crossed the 1 lakh-vote margin in Sitai and Haroa and claimed the Madarihat seat in Alipurduar district for the first time, wresting it from the BJP, which had held it in both the 2016 and 2021 elections. The BJP also lost Sitai in North Bengal’s Cooch Behar, despite the region being considered one of its strongholds.
Before the bypolls, Mamata Banerjee and TMC were on the backfoot, owing primarily to the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder incident. Mamata Banerjee even offered to resign as CM as protests continued unabated. The BJP’s bypoll campaign, therefore, had focused on issues such as women’s safety under TMC and corruption allegations against TMC leaders. However, these efforts failed to arrest the party’s waning fortunes in the state.
This bypoll loss follows a similar outcome in the July 10 bypolls, where the BJP lost four seats to the TMC. Among these were three seats—Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah, and Raiganj—that the BJP had previously won in the 2021 Assembly elections and where it had led during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections further illustrated its decline, with its seat tally dropping to 12 from 18 in 2019 and its vote share decreasing from 40.25% to 38.73%. Meanwhile, the TMC increased its count from 22 seats in 2019 to 29 in 2024, with its vote share rising to 45.76%.
Despite its strong showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP struggled in the 2021 Assembly polls, securing 77 of 292 seats. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, retained power with a commanding 215-seat victory, completing a third consecutive term in office.
The recent bypoll losses have intensified internal dissent within the BJP, with some leaders demanding accountability and calling for a change in state leadership. State BJP president and Union minister Sukanta Majumder has faced criticism, with party insiders questioning his dual role and the lack of effective electoral strategies.
“We didn’t have concrete planning for these bypolls after losing the Lok Sabha elections. Naturally, we are losing these seats, and our vote share continues to decline. If this trend persists, we will suffer a crushing defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections,” a senior BJP leader admitted, reported.
Veteran BJP leader Tathagata Roy even took to social media to criticise the party’s leadership in West Bengal. “The BJP in West Bengal is surviving as the second party not because of its organisation but due to the blind support of a section of the Hindu populace,” he posted. Roy also raised concerns about alleged inaction against TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee and accused the party’s central leadership of fostering a perception of a tacit understanding with Mamata Banerjee’s government. He called for the appointment of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari as state BJP president, further highlighting the strained ties between Majumder and Adhikari.
Other BJP leaders, including MLA Agnimitra Paul and former MP Arjun Singh, echoed the demand for stronger leadership. “We need a president who can relentlessly take on this government,” Paul said, while Singh emphasised the importance of grassroots-level organisational work to prepare for the 2026 polls.
Majumder, however, dismissed the criticism, stating, “These are bypoll results. Such outcomes are natural. We are confident of a turnaround in the 2026 Assembly elections.” He added, “I am fulfilling the responsibilities given to me by the party. There is a process for electing the state president, and some people’s constant complaints are simply noise.”
The BJP central leadership appointed Majumder after the party’s underwhelming performance in the 2021 elections, replacing Dilip Ghosh. However, internal rifts deepened as Majumder sidelined Ghosh’s associates, leading to factionalism within the party.
The TMC, meanwhile, has capitalised on the BJP’s infighting. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh mocked the Opposition, saying, “Winter has brought the circus to Kolkata. Some jokers are shouting, and we are enjoying the spectacle.”
The BJP’s struggle to counter the TMC’s dominance in West Bengal poses serious challenges for the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Without addressing internal discord and revamping its state-level strategy, the BJP risks further eroding its position in the politically crucial state.
See insights
Boost a post
Like
Comment
Send
Share
