Modi’s party wins control of India’s West Bengal in a key state election

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party has wrested control of the opposition stronghold of West Bengal in a key state election.

The Election Commission of India released partial results Monday showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly and was leading in 83 others.

Modi’s party has never governed West Bengal and had tried for years to dislodge the All India Trinamool Congress government led by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She is one of Modi’s most prominent critics and has held power in the politically influential state since 2011.

Opposition parties have sharply criticized the polls in West Bengal after the Election Commission removed millions of voters from electoral rolls.

Governments were ousted in two other states and Modi’s party retained power in another that held elections in April.

India has more than 1.4 billion people in 28 states and eight federal territories, and elections are staggered with several states and territories voting each year.

India’s opposition faces a setback

The outcome in West Bengal was expected to boost Modi’s standing and strengthen his position midway through his third term in office. The 2024 national election forced his ruling party to rely on regional allies to form a government. He is expected to run for a record fourth term in 2029.

Addressing supporters at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Modi said the results pointed to the party’s widening appeal in a state where it had historically struggled.

“A new chapter has been added to Bengal’s destiny,” Modi told a cheering crowd.

India’s opposition has struggled to mount a unified and sustained challenge to the BJP’s dominance nationwide.

Banerjee had emerged as one of Modi’s most prominent national rivals, particularly after positioning herself as a key leader to unite regional parties against the BJP. Her defeat was likely to weaken her leverage within an opposition bloc already divided by regional power struggles.

Film star-turned-politician scores breakthrough win

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, who launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party only two years ago, ousted the ruling DMK party. Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most developed states, has a history of electing movie stars to the top office.

In Kerala, another southern state, the Indian National Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist government, ending leftist rule in one of its last remaining strongholds.

Modi’s party also returned to power in the northeastern state of Assam for a third consecutive term.