"People Gave Us Huge Mandate": Manoj Tiwari As BJP Leads In Bengal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading for a sweeping victory in West Bengal. Early trends suggest that the party could come to power in the state for the first time.

Speaking to NDTV during the ongoing counting of votes, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said, "People of West Bengal have given us a huge mandate."

"People of West Bengal have given us a huge mandate" : BJP's Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/QNc9v78pKl

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026

Tiwari also shared an anecdote about a voter, saying he met a 36-year-old man who works abroad and was travelling from Gurugram to Kolkata.

"His father told him to make sure he casts his vote before leaving," Tiwari said. "I did not ask him who he was voting for, but he said his father told him, 'Tell Modi to save West Bengal,'" Tiwari added, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Initial counting trends show the BJP leading in several seats, putting it ahead of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to the latest figures, the BJP is leading in around 194 constituencies, while the TMC is ahead in about 92 seats.

BJP is aiming to make its footprint in West Bengal for the first time. The party has historically struggled to come to power in the state and has been unable to unseat the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power for over 15 years.

Celebrations and preparations have begun at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi and across West Bengal following early election trends indicating a major victory for the party in the state assembly elections.

Party workers have gathered at the headquarters as jhalmuri and traditional Bengali snacks are arranged on the menu to mark what could be the party's most significant breakthrough in West Bengal in decades.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC won 215 seats, while the BJP secured 77 seats and became the main opposition party for the first time. The Congress and the Left failed to win any seats.