Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition who led the BJP’s ground campaign in West Bengal and defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by approximately 15,000 votes in Bhawanipur, has issued his first statement following the party’s historic mandate in the state.
In a message addressed to the people of West Bengal posted on X, Adhikari extended his gratitude and outlined the incoming government’s priorities:
“Greetings, people of West Bengal. I extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to each and every one of you for extending overwhelming support to the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal and for reposing faith in the leadership of our esteemed Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. This victory is the victory of every patriotic nationalist, the victory of every BJP worker. The BJP’s commitment is to a developed, prosperous, and secure West Bengal. We are resolute in fulfilling our promises. By taking everyone along, we will build a healthy, beautiful, and advanced state. Serving the people of the state will be the primary goal of the new government. I convey special gratitude to the Election Commission, government employees, central forces, and members of the state and Kolkata police forces for conducting this democratic process of the assembly elections smoothly and successfully. Under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, building a developed and self-reliant West Bengal is our firm commitment. Victory to Mother India. Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.”
The scale of the win
The BJP registered a historic victory, bagging over 206 seats out of 294 in the West Bengal assembly. The ruling TMC is set to win around 80 seats. Adhikari himself defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by approximately 15,000 votes in Bhawanipur — a constituency Banerjee had held as her political fortress for years.
The victory ends 15 years of TMC rule in West Bengal and delivers what has been one of the most persistently sought political objectives for the BJP at the national level — a foothold of governing power in a state that had repeatedly rejected the party despite strong central government performance in neighbouring states.
Adhikari’s statement is notably inclusive in tone — “by taking everyone along” — a deliberate signal in a state where post-election violence has been a recurring concern in recent election cycles. The emphasis on serving people as the “primary goal” and gratitude to both state police and central forces also reflects an attempt to project normalcy and institutional respect in the immediate aftermath of a bitterly contested election.
The incoming BJP government will now be accountable to the 15-point Sankalp Patra it campaigned on — including UCC within six months, 7th Pay Commission within 45 days, 1 crore jobs in five years, Rs 3,000 monthly for women, pending DA clearance and Ayushman Bharat implementation — commitments that will be the yardstick by which this historic mandate is ultimately judged.