TNIE online desk
The BJP stormed to power in West Bengal with 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly, securing a two-thirds majority and forming its first-ever government in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the verdict, declaring “Lotus blooms in West Bengal”, while the BJP credited its development focused campaign for the breakthrough.
The result ends the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule and marks one of the most dramatic political shifts in Bengal’s recent history.
In the biggest upset of the election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost the Bhabanipur seat to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by 15,105 votes.
Polling remained largely peaceful across West Bengal, with only isolated incidents of minor violence reported from a few constituencies during the counting and voting process.