Bengal polls: S Adhikari says 'consolidation of Hindu votes'

Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday expressed confidence that the party was on course to form the next government in West Bengal, citing early trends and what he described as significant shifts in voting patterns during the 2026 Assembly elections.

As counting progressed across 293 constituencies, early trends showed the BJP gaining a decisive edge over the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Adhikari, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, said the party’s strong performance was driven by consolidation among Hindu voters and a division in Muslim votes, which he claimed had traditionally favoured the TMC.

He stated that, unlike previous elections, Muslim voters had not backed the TMC in overwhelming numbers, with a portion of those votes shifting to other parties and a smaller share going to the BJP. Referring to his own constituency, Nandigram, Adhikari said he had performed better than expected, including in booths with significant Muslim populations.

Adhikari also expressed confidence about the BJP’s prospects in Bhabanipur, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was trailing in early rounds. He indicated that initial counting rounds reflected a close contest due to the composition of booths, but maintained that the BJP would gain a clear lead in later rounds as results from Hindu-majority booths were consolidated.

He further pointed to what he described as anti-incumbency against the TMC government and asserted that the BJP was witnessing broader support across regions, including Malda, Murshidabad and Uttar Dinajpur, where he claimed Muslim votes were split.

Adhikari added that trends indicated he had secured significantly higher votes in Nandigram compared to previous elections. He maintained that these developments signalled a strong likelihood of the BJP forming the next government in the state.