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Five years after Mamata Banerjee’s 2021 landslide, TMC remains dominant amid welfare push and corruption probes, BJP struggles to sustain gains, Left shows slow revival.
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Five years after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee secured a decisive third term, West Bengal’s political landscape has undergone visible shifts, marked by consolidation of power, a recalibrating opposition, and a series of governance and corruption cases.
2021: A Landslide For Mamata
The 2021 Assembly election saw the TMC retain power with a comfortable majority despite an aggressive campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The contest saw BJP emerging as the main opposition in the state, significantly expanding its footprint from previous elections. The Left Front and the Indian National Congress were reduced to the margins.
Since 2021, the TMC government has expanded its welfare schemes with initiatives like Lakshmir Bhandar, Duare Sarkar and student credit initiatives. With these initiatives, the state government has tried to maintain connection with the people. However, this period has also been marked by high-profile corruption investigations, including the school recruitment scam and cases linked to municipal bodies. Several senior TMC leaders and ministers were arrested or questioned by central agencies, turning corruption into a central political issue.
The TMC has maintained that these probes are politically motivated, while the BJP has used them to sharpen its attack on the state government, keeping the issue alive in public discourse.
Opposition Dynamics: BJP’s Plateau, Left’s Slow Revival
After its rise in 2021, the BJP in Bengal has faced organisational and electoral challenges in maintaining momentum at the grassroots level. Experts say that despite being the main opposition, internal factionalism and leadership churn have affected BJP’s state unit.
In contrast, Left parties have attempted a gradual revival through student movements, labour mobilisation, and issue-based campaigns. Though still electorally weak, their visibility has improved in pockets, especially in urban and campus politics.
Centre-State Tussle
Relations between the West Bengal government and the BJP-led central government have remained tense. Disputes over fund allocation, central schemes, and the role of investigative agencies have frequently escalated into political confrontations.
Meanwhile, subsequent civic and local body elections have largely favoured the TMC, underlining its continued dominance at the grassroots level. However, sporadic gains by opposition parties indicate a competitive, if uneven, political field.
SIR And Narrative Politics
The state’s politics continues to be shaped by a mix of welfare-driven governance, regional identity, and ideological contestation. The TMC has leaned on Bengali sub-nationalism and social schemes, while the BJP has focused on national issues, SIR and polarisation narratives.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is also expected to play a key role in the upcoming state election as it has emerged as one of the most politically sensitive factors ahead of the elections. Experts say Its impact is likely to be indirect but significant, shaping both voter perception and turnout rather than acting as a standalone electoral determinant.
2026 Assembly Polls
As Bengal moves closer to the Assembly election, the TMC remains the dominant force. The BJP, on the other side, continues to position itself as the main challenger, even as it works to rebuild organisational strength. The Left and Congress, though limited in electoral terms, are seeking relevance through issue-based politics.
West Bengal, India, India
April 01, 2026, 12:11 AM IST
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