At least four people were killed in political unrest across West Bengal after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured its first-ever victory in the key eastern state, police and party officials confirmed on Wednesday. The violence erupted on Tuesday night as results showed the BJP winning 207 of the 294 assembly seats, effectively ending 15 years of rule by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). According to reports from the Times of India, the fatalities include two supporters from the BJP and two from the TMC, highlighting the volatile transition of power in the state.
The historic victory for the BJP marks a seismic shift in West Bengal’s political landscape, where the party crossed the two-thirds majority mark. However, the victory has been overshadowed by allegations of electoral fraud. Outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost her high-profile Bhabanipur seat to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by over 15,000 votes, has refused to tender her resignation. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday evening, Banerjee described the mandate as "looted" and alleged that large-scale rigging occurred in nearly 100 constituencies. This refusal to step down has sparked fears of a constitutional crisis in the state.
The deaths were reported across several districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, and Birbhum. In Beleghata, TMC poll agent Biswajit Pattanaik was found dead near his home, with his family alleging he was brutally assaulted by rival cadres. In New Town, BJP worker Madhu Mondal collapsed and died following a clash during a victory procession. Another BJP activist, Jadav Bar, was allegedly lynched in Udaynarayanpur, while TMC worker Abir Sheikh was hacked to death in Birbhum’s Nanoor. NDTV reported that the Chief Election Commissioner has directed the state’s top officials to immediately arrest those responsible for inciting violence and vandalism.
To maintain order, the Election Commission of India has ordered continuous patrolling in sensitive zones. While 2,400 companies of central forces were initially brought in for the polls, 700 companies have been directed to stay back to prevent further escalation. The BJP leadership has called for calm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating from New Delhi that the party would not engage in revenge politics, focusing instead on "poriborton" or change. Despite these calls, reports of TMC party offices being ransacked and set on fire have emerged from Tollygunge, Kasba, and Siliguri.
Political analysts suggest that the TMC’s defeat was fueled by anti-incumbency, corruption allegations, and a significant split in the minority vote that previously unified behind Banerjee. The BJP’s ability to convert its growing vote share into seats across traditional TMC strongholds has redrawn the state’s electoral map. As the state remains on edge, Governor RN Ravi is expected to play a critical role in resolving the deadlock regarding the formation of the new government, as the BJP prepares to elect its legislative party leader in Kolkata later this week.
