The BJP is preparing a fresh strategy for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections after failing to repeat its 2019 Lok Sabha success. The party has realised that the Bihar-style formula of caste politics and aggressive Hindu nationalism will not work in Bengal, where caste equations are weaker and nearly 30% of the population is Muslim.
In 2019, the BJP won 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats with 40.25% votes, its best performance in Bengal. However, in the 2021 assembly polls its vote share fell to 27.81%, and in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections it dropped to 12 seats with 39.10% votes. The party believes these back-to-back setbacks demand a new approach.
According to leaders, the BJP now aims to balance regional and religious equations instead of targeting the entire Muslim community. The party says it is not against “nationalist Muslims” and plans to focus on constituencies where Muslims are not dominant but still influence outcomes.
Bengal’s political, cultural, and social environment is different from Bihar, and the BJP is reworking its strategy accordingly.
