Who’s taking on the BJP in Bengal?

West Bengal’s new BJP-led government, sworn in on 9 May under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has implemented controversial measures since taking power. Bulldozers cleared roads and demolished structures, including Kolkata’s Hogg Market, while government employees received gag orders. Hawkers were evicted from railway platforms, and dissenters like activist Garga Chatterjee were jailed. The state also invoked the 1950 Animal Slaughter Control Act to regulate cow slaughter, and set up detention camps for suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrants, with 12 inmates relocated to shelters in Murshidabad and Malda. The BJP’s campaign promise to secure the India-Bangladesh border with barbed-wire fencing and remove 34 lakh names from voter lists was justified as a response to alleged demographic changes due to illegal migration. Despite winning 208 Assembly seats—a majority—the party secured only 45.84% of the vote, while 54.16% voted against it. Mid-level BJP leaders argue these moves consolidate support, but the party’s dominance is weakened by its vote share, leaving opposition space open for regrouping. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), once ruling, now holds just 80 seats and faces internal turmoil. Around ten MLAs skipped a strategy meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee on 6 May, and multiple councillors have resigned. Reports suggest TMC MLAs are exploring defections to Congress or CPI(M), with some even considering joining the BJP. On 26 May, MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and six TMC MLAs attended an administrative meeting, raising further questions about party loyalty. Opposition parties, including CPI(M) with 4.45% of the vote and Congress with 2.97%, now compete to fill the political void. The BJP’s narrow victory and the TMC’s collapse create uncertainty, as smaller parties and dissidents may reshape West Bengal’s political landscape in the coming months. The state’s opposition remains fragmented but increasingly active, pressuring the government on policy and governance.