“I am not a politician, but this is a historic election”: Biswajit Mukherjee
HYDERABAD: Bengalis in Hyderabad spent Monday glued to television screens and mobile updates as results of the West Bengal Assembly elections trickled in, showing the Bharatiya Janata Party surging ahead and the ruling Trinamul Congress and its supremo Mamata Banerjee trailing, before a verdict that ended 15 years of TMC rule.
Across associations and WhatsApp circles, conversations swung between surprise, debate and delight, with many saying the outcome would change Bengal’s political direction.
“I am not a politician, but this is a historic election,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, vice‑president of Hyderabad Bangalee Samity. He pointed to anti‑incumbency and economic stagnation as factors behind the change, adding that Bengalis now expect industrial investment and revival of growth.
Bengalis are by and large liberal, though there has been some polarisation owing to a few issues and anti-incumbency sentiment, which I believe led to this change. The state has also been struggling economically. Bengal was once a centre of power, and now it is languishing at the bottom."
Abhijeet Bhattacharya, vice‑president of Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha in Secunderabad, said the day was marked by participation. “After many years, people have been able to vote without fear, and that is something we must cherish,” he noted, adding that many turned the counting into a small political adda.
Others saw the result as part of a longer pattern. Lovely M, a professional in the city, said governments in Bengal often fall dramatically once they overstay. “Any regime that stretches too long begins to feel rigid, and people start looking toward change with a restless hope,” she said. She questioned whether BJP’s rise was a gradual consolidation or a last resort for transformation, adding, “Only time will tell.”
She described the TMC’s reliance on past legacy as a weakness, saying governance had weakened from within and frustration was evident. “The BJP seems to have read that mood well,” she said.
