Ebar Ram, pore Bam: How Left voters quietly helped BJP win Bengal election
Left-wing voters in West Bengal, disillusioned with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and lacking a viable alternative, shifted support to the BJP in the 2026 Assembly elections, contributing to the party’s historic victory. CPI(M) workers and supporters, including those in Bhabanipur and Dum Dum Uttar, openly acknowledged transferring votes to BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, who later became Chief Minister, while TMC violence and CAPF deployment influenced voter behavior.
The BJP’s victory in West Bengal’s 2026 Assembly elections relied partly on unexpected support from Left-wing voters, who turned away from the TMC due to disillusionment and lack of alternatives. Sanjit Roy, a CPI(M) worker from New Barrackpore, confirmed that many Left supporters voted for the BJP to remove the TMC from power. Suvendu Adhikari, now West Bengal’s Chief Minister, credited CPI(M) voters in Bhabanipur for his win, noting at least 10,000 of the party’s 13,000 votes there went to him. This shift was evident across multiple seats, including Dum Dum Uttar, where the BJP won despite the CPI(M) fielding a new leader, Dipshita Dhar. The trend reflects a broader pattern: Left voters, traditionally loyal to cadre-based parties, began supporting the BJP after the 2018 TMC-led violence against CPI(M) workers during panchayat elections. The BJP’s rise in 2019 (18 Lok Sabha seats) and 2021 (77 Assembly seats) mirrored this growing support. The CPI(M) adopted a survival strategy akin to MMA fighters, prioritizing short-term tactical shifts to avoid elimination. Left parties are now reclaiming offices seized by the TMC, while voters cited the 2026 elections’ heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel as crucial in reducing TMC-sponsored intimidation. Roy stated that the presence of CRPF ensured voters could cast ballots freely, contrasting with past elections marred by TMC violence. The Left Front’s 34-year rule in West Bengal ended in 2011, but Left parties remained active, with the CPI(M) maintaining influence through events like its annual Brigade Parade Ground rally. Experts note the shift from Left to Right has been gradual, accelerating after the 2018 violence. The 2026 results underscore how ideological voters, when pushed by adversity, may realign to secure broader political goals—even if temporarily.
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