West Bengal Turns Saffron: BJP's First-Ever Win Explained

For nearly half a century, one rule held in West Bengal politics: the Bharatiya Janata Party could not win here.

West Bengal has long been governed by forces that defined themselves against the BJP.

That is precisely why the 2026 result lands with such force.

Voting took place in two phases, on 23 and 29 April, across all 294 assembly constituencies, with results declared on 4 May.

The vote-share gap was narrower than the seat gap suggests, which is itself part of the story.