Asansol temple, shut for several years, reopens after BJP's win
What's the story
A Durga temple in Asansol, West Bengal, has reopened after remaining shut for years due to local tensions. The reopening comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) resounding victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls. The temple, managed by the Shri Shri Durgamata Charitable Trust, had been inaccessible most of the year except during festivals like Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja.
Twitter Post
Devotees visit temple
#WATCH | A Durga temple, managed by the Shri Shri Durgamata Charitable Trust in West Bengal's Asansol, reopened to devotees after remaining shut for several years.
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2026
BJP leader Agnimitra Paul won the Asansaol Dakshin seat with a margin of 40,839 votes. pic.twitter.com/CojN84s6mp
Election impact
BJP's clean sweep in Paschim Bardhaman district
The temple's reopening follows the BJP's clean sweep in all nine Assembly seats of Paschim Bardhaman district, which includes Asansol. The BJP won 206 out of 293 seats, ending Mamata Banerjee's 15-year rule. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul won the Asansaol Dakshin seat with a margin of 40,839 votes. According to India Today, the temple's closure was linked to conflicts between communities and administrative constraints.
Political promise
'Previous government was completely anti-Hindu'
Krishnendu Mukherjee, the newly-elected BJP MLA from Asansol Uttar, had promised to keep the temple open year-round if he won. He visited the temple and helped facilitate its reopening. "We used to repeatedly tell leaders of Delhi...that a Hindu temple is here, but...no one allows any puja to happen...The previous government was....completely anti-Hindu, but today, all the Hindus in Bengal voted for the BJP...and this temple has reopened," Nilu Chakraborty, BJP leader and member of the mandir committee, said.