‘What A Revenge’: Norway Envoy Praises PM Modi After BJP’s Bengal Victory

Last Updated:May 06, 2026, 10:55 PM IST

In a first, the BJP bagged 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly of West Bengal, with the TMC finishing a distant second with 80 seats

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Nitin Nabin after Bengal win | File image: PTI

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinched a historic victory in the West Bengal Assembly Poll, Norwegian diplomat Erik Solheim lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting that the voter turnout in the state was “extraordinarily high” — far above average electoral participation in European and American elections.

In a first, the BJP bagged 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly of West Bengal, with the TMC finishing a distant second with 80 seats.

In a post on ‘X’, Solheim wrote, “Big victory for Prime Minister Modi in India state elections. Its time the West appreciates the strength of Indian democracy! BJP has won a massive victory in state elections in West Bengal and Assam. The turn out was extraordinary high, more than 90%, far above normal participation in European and American elections. With a population of 106 million West Bengal is much larger than any nation in the European Union, so this matters!”

The diplomat emphasised how the election outcomes present a far different picture than that painted by the western media, noting India’s democracy remains rooted in its traditions and history.

“The result should give western media a pause. They very often present prime minister Modi as a threat to democracy and his policies as some sort of Hindu extremism. The reality is exactly the opposite. Indian is not only the world’s largest democracy in size – its also one of the most solid in content because its not a western transplant but rooted in Indian traditions and history”, he wrote.

Solheim described the results of Tamil Nadu Assembly Election as a “shocking one”. For context, the TVK — led by actor-turned-politician Vijay — marked a stellar debut in the Tamil Nadu polls, ending the duopoly by DMK-AIADMK.

“Yesterday’s election produced surprising results in West Bengal and Kerala and a shocking one in Tamil Nadu. Still the losers accept defeat. The turn out is high. There is close to zero violence. Every citizen get the ballot papers – even in the most remote places. The right to free speech is uncontested and Indians use it widely”, he opined.

The diplomat recalled the Lok Sabha Elections in 2024, when the BJP fell short of the majority mark. He said how the western media touted the electoral outcome as the “beginning of the end” of the Modi era.

“When BJP performed below expectations in the 2024 parliament elections, many western media wrote as if it was the beginning of the end for Modiji. Since then the BJP has won state elections in Odisha, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar – and now Assam and West Bengal. What a revenge! At a time when democracy is threatened in the US and European democracies struggle to deliver, we should look to India for inspiration not fear!”

Solheim’s Praise For Vijay

Erik Solheim lauded TVK Chief and actor-turned-politician Vijay for an extraordinary performance in the Tamil Nadu Election.

The diplomat pointed out how Vijay ended the duopoly of the DMK and the AIADMK.

In a post on ‘X’, Solheim wrote, “Warm congrats to Vijay – the man who upended Tamil politics! For as long as anyone can remember Tamil Nadu has been dominated by DMK and AIADMK, the parties formed by the two giants of Dravidian politics – Karunanidhi and MGR.”

Describing Vijay’s debut as the “most seismic” one in the history of Tamil Nadu, he wrote: “This week the voters of Tamil Nadu delivered a shock result. With a wide margin they elected Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar a 51-year-old Tamil cinema superstar known to fans as Vijay, or simply as “Thalapathy” (Commander). This is the most seismic electoral debut in Tamil Nadu‘s modern history. His party TVK got 108 seats, close to simple majority.”

“Let’s wish Vijay complete success in taking Tamil Nadu to the next level. Tamil Nadu is already one of India’s most successful states, with high living standards and vibrant business. The aim is a 1 trillion USD economy. As a member of the climate council in the state I have had the honor to support its strong climate policies and the good efforts for conservation of the beautiful nature of Tamil Nadu. I will be happy to continue to give support in the future”, Solheim wrote.

TVK Chief Vijay — who marked a historic debut in the state assembly election — bagged 108 out of 234 seats. However, it fell short of the majority mark, which stands at 118.

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