West Bengal bypolls proved that BJP does not draw support from just one community: CM Suvendu
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari claims that recent by-election results in Nandigram and Rejinagar demonstrate that the BJP is gaining significant support from minority communities. He used the victory to call for a 'triple-engine government' ahead of upcoming municipal elections in Kolkata and Howrah.
Why it matters
The shift in voting patterns in minority-dominated areas could signal a significant change in the political landscape of West Bengal, potentially impacting future electoral strategies for both the BJP and its opponents.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said the byelections to the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly seats had proved that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not draw support from only one community.
Mr. Adhikari was pointing to Muslim voters backing the party’s candidates in the bypolls held earlier this month. The BJP won Nandigram by a margin of over 1.22 lakh votes and the minority-dominated Rejinagar by over 75,000 votes. The Chief Minister had earlier said that 80% of Muslims in Nandigram and 60% of the minority population in Rejinagar had voted for the BJP in the bypolls held on October 6, 2026.
“A perception was created that BJP gets support of only one community and this was true particularly in the context of 2021 assembly polls,” Mr. Adhikari said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in