Kolkata: In a dramatic political turnaround, Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive victory over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, winning by a margin exceeding 15,000 votes.

The results signal a major shift in West Bengal’s political landscape. Out of the 293 Assembly seats, the BJP has delivered a commanding performance—winning 177 seats and leading in 31 others. In contrast, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) managed to secure 61 seats and is ahead in 18 constituencies. Other parties, including Congress and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), won two seats each, while the CPM secured a single seat.

With these numbers, the BJP is poised to form its first-ever government in West Bengal since Independence, marking a historic breakthrough in a state long dominated by regional forces. The outcome also indicates the end of TMC’s 15-year rule, signaling a significant political shift.

In an even more emphatic projection, reports suggest the BJP may have touched the 207-seat mark, far surpassing its previous tally of 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections. The scale of victory underscores a sweeping mandate and a major expansion of the party’s footprint in eastern India.

Political analysts describe the result as a watershed moment, with far-reaching implications for both state and national politics.