KOLKATA/LUCKNOW: After the NDA’s grand victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP hopes that the results will set the tone for West Bengal polls next year and Uttar Pradesh elections in 2027. The ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the Opposition Samajwadi Party in UP rule out any such impact.
BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said, “Bihar’s victory is ours; now it is Bengal’s turn. Just as the Bihar election was conducted after the SIR, the poll in Bengal will also be conducted with a pure and clean electoral roll.”
UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was the co-convenor for Bihar elections, said: “Magadh jeeta, Awadh bhi jeetengey. 2027 mein 2017 dohrayenge (After winning Magadh (Bihar), we will win Awadh (UP). Will repeat 2017 in 2027).” He was referring to the BJP winning 325 of 403 seats in UP in 2017.
Rubbishing the BJP’s claim, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, “Mamata Banerjee routed the CPM in Bengal ending the 34-year Left rule in the state. Only she can fight against BJP and we will form the next government with absolute majority.”
According to TMC insiders, SIR would backfire on the BJP and a vast section of Hindus would vote for the party. The TMC leadership is also confident of retaining its traditional minority vote base.
“The NDA won in Bihar mainly because of welfare schemes, particularly pro-women programmes. Everyone knows that Mamata Banerjee’s pioneering role in implementing most of the social security measures, starting from Lakshmir Bhandar, Swasthya Sathi, Sabuj Sathi, Kanyashree and many others. She will get overwhelming support through the measures despite the SIR phobia unleashed by BJP,” a senior TMC leader said.
Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said, “The Trinamool had won in the 2021 Assembly polls with absolute majority within six months after Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and BJP formed the government in Bihar. Her government’s populist and social security schemes have kept her vote bank intact during her tenure since 2011.”
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “SIR will not help BJP or NDA in Bengal, Tamil Nadu and UP since the political conspiracy was exposed.”
The NDA in UP, comprising BJP, Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal, Suheldev Bahratiya Samaj Party, NISAHD and Jayant Chaudhary-led RLD, would work out the same strategy in the 2027 Assembly polls to bolster its fortunes by cementing its clout among as non-Yadav OBCs and MBCs or EBCs.
Political analysts believe that the Bihar outcome would give an edge to the NDA, which was concerned after a disappointing show in the Lok Sabha polls 2024 in UP as its tally had dwindled from 64 in 2019 to 36. At the same time, the performance of the Congress in Bihar could force Akhilesh to review his party’s tie-up with the grand old party, analysts say.
There could be certain takeaways from Bihar for UP. The popularity of PM Narendra Modi and the strategy of Home Minister Amit Shah have kept BJP on a firm footing. “They have done it earlier in UP and can repeat it in 2027,” said a political commentator.