Indian PM Modi claims victory in opposition-held West Bengal state

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed victory on Monday in state elections in opposition-held West Bengal, where his party has never been in power before.

Partial results showed Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on course to dislodge the All India Trinamool Congress, with the prime minister hailing a "record win" in a social media post.

Modi on Monday hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s overwhelming performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections, dubbing it as the victory of good governance over regressive rule of Trinamool Congress' governance.

"The Lotus blooms in West Bengal! The 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections will be remembered forever," Prime Minister Modi said in an emphatic message on social media platform X, even as the election result trends continue to put the party in pole position -- after hours of counting which began at 8 a.m. on Monday morning.

The Prime Minister is also set to visit the BJP headquarters shortly, to participate in the party's victory celebrations and also delivering a rousing speech to thousands of karyakartas.

Hailing the Bengal's mandate as "display of people's power", he said that the BJP's politics of good governance has triumphed and vowed to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of every person of the state.

"I bow to each and every person of West Bengal. The people have given a spectacular mandate to BJP and I assure them that our Party will do everything possible to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the people of West Bengal. We will provide a Government that ensures opportunity and dignity to all sections of society," PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister also saluted the 'Karyakartas' (party workers) for their constant endeavours and struggles in ensuring an emphatic victory for the BJP in West Bengal.

"For years, they (BJP workers) have worked hard on the ground, overcome all sorts of adversities and spoken about our development agenda. They are the strength of our Party. I salute them," he wrote on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also welcomed the Bengal poll outcome and pledged to use this opportunity to turn the state into 'Sonar Bangla'.

"With the hopes and aspirations with which Bengal has expressed this trust in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, we will certainly fulfill them. BJP will work day and night to restore the lost glory of Bengal, the sacred land of great personalities like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, Kavi Guru Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, and to realise the dream of 'Sonar Bangla'."

The Home Minister was also unsparing in criticism over appeasement politics in the state, emphasising that the people of West Bengal have taught a lesson to the infiltrators and their sympathizers and those indulging in politics of appeasement will never be able to forget it.

Remembering the slain BJP workers in political violence, Home Minister Amit Shah said, "The historic victory for the BJP in Bengal is the result of the sacrifices, struggles, and martyrdom of our countless workers. It is a triumph of the patience of those families who, even while enduring violence, never abandoned the saffron flag. In this arduous journey of the BJP from zero to a resounding majority today, I bow to all those workers who offered their lives, endured violence, suffered tortures, and yet never wavered from the path of ideology -- and to their families."

Agencies