In Bengal, Poriborton Comes A Full Circle
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2026-05-04 11:21:54
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The winds of poriborton that brought Mamata Banerjee to power in 2011 appear to have come full circle. Riding the Singur agitation, she had unseated the Left Front's 34-year rule. Fifteen years later, a different churn seems to be underway.
The Bharatiya Janata Party built its campaign around a simple premise: break the climate of bhoy that, it alleged, inhibited voters. The deployment of central forces on a massive scale, sustained flag marches, and the Election Commission's intervention in the state police setup were all geared towards creating conditions for a freer vote.
Alongside, the party amplified incidents such as Sandeshkhali and the R G Kar case to challenge the moral and political authority of the Trinamool Congress, particularly among women voters - long seen as a pillar of its support through schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree.
Early trends suggest that some of these assumptions may have found traction, though a clearer picture will only emerge with detailed data.
What does appear evident, however, is that the BJP has managed to expand its base significantly. With leads crossing 200 seats by late afternoon, the contest looks decisively tilted, despite Mamata Banerjee's defiant posture on the campaign trail and even after the results showed a BJP sweep.
