In Bengal, ex-house help wins seat to become BJP MLA
What's the story
Kalita Majhi, a former domestic worker, has been elected as the MLA from Ausgram constituency in West Bengal. Majhi secured 1,07,692 votes and defeated TMC's Shyama Prasanna Lohar by 12,535 votes. The victory signals a structural shift in West Bengal's political landscape as it had only had one change of government in nearly 50 years: the Communist Left Front reigned for 34 years before the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, dominated the next 15 years until Monday.
Political ascent
Majhi's journey from domestic worker to MLA
Majhi, a resident of Guskara Municipality, was earlier employed as a domestic worker in four households, earning ₹4,500 a month. In the 2021 Assembly elections, she had contested on a BJP ticket but lost to Abhedananda Thander of the Trinamool Congress by 11,815 votes. Her nomination was seen as an embodiment of grassroots democracy and her victory is a testament to socio-economic mobility through electoral politics.
Election results
BJP's historic win in West Bengal
The BJP won 206 out of 294 seats in the Assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule. Bengal was the one place where Narendra Modi's political advance did not go as planned for many years. His BJP had defeated once-powerful regional parties, swept through India's Hindi-speaking heartland, and spread to the west and Northeast. Bengal, however, continued to be remain fiercely resistant. After the win, Modi said the "Lotus has bloomed in West Bengal," and called the 2026 elections "unforgettable."
Political shift
Mamata Banerjee loses Bhabanipur seat
In a major upset, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost the Bhabanipur seat to Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP. Banerjee alleged irregularities in several constituencies but vowed that her party would "bounce back." The new BJP government is likely to take oath on May 9, coinciding with Rabindra Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. "The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister...will take place on 9th May," BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya told ANI.