How BJP is reclaiming Bengal from TMC’s ‘Jungle Raj’

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How BJP is reclaiming Bengal from TMC’s ‘Jungle Raj’


In a historic political shift in West Bengal, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of the state on Saturday, 9th May, becoming the first Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal’s history. The grand oath-taking ceremony was held at Brigade Parade Ground and witnessed massive crowds, political leaders and supporters gathering to mark the beginning of a new political chapter in the state after more than 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule.

The BJP had secured a massive and historic victory in the Assembly elections on 4th May. Out of 293 constituencies, the BJP won 206 seats, while the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) was reduced to just 81 seats. One of the biggest political shocks came from Bhabanipur, where former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her seat. Just a decade ago, such a political outcome would have seemed impossible in Bengal.

The BJP’s rise in Bengal has been long and gradual. From having zero seats in 2011 to now forming the government in 2026, the party spent years building its organisation at the grassroots level. BJP leaders and workers repeatedly claimed that the people of Bengal were frustrated with the “jungle raj” of the TMC government. 

Now, just days after coming to power, the BJP has begun the process of reclaiming Bengal, from reopening schools and temples to restoring shops and livelihoods taken over by the TMC govt led by Mamata Banerjee.

Reopening of schools in remote villages

The first signs of this reclamation emerged from the remote villages of the state. One of the first such developments after the change in government came from Jharkhali in South 24 Parganas district, where the Aranyaj School, under illegal occupation of local TMC leaders for nearly two years, was finally reopened. Videos from the village showed children and residents unlocking the gates of the school and celebrating its reopening.

The school had originally been started in 2023 by social worker Amrita Bose Gupta as a free English-medium school for poor children. It also worked on women’s empowerment projects. However, according to the school administration, local TMC-linked groups took over the property in July 2024. Since then, the school building reportedly remained shut, depriving children in the area of education.

According to the FIR filed by Amrita Bose Gupta, the attack on the school in 2024 was brutal. She said that TMC goons led by Bishnupur TMC MLA, Dilip Mondal,  entered the campus early in the morning, cut electricity and CCTV wires, dragged people out of their rooms and assaulted women and elderly family members. She also claimed that her young son was attacked and her mother was beaten unconscious while trying to save him.

While talking to OpIndia, the school administration said that books, computers, solar panels, furniture, hostel items and even women’s sanitary napkin production machines were looted. Cash, food grains, uniforms and other materials were also stolen. Despite FIRs and chargesheets, locals claimed that no strong action was taken during the TMC government because the accused enjoyed political protection.

The atmosphere changed after the BJP’s victory. Videos now show villagers cleaning the school premises, hoisting the national flag and preparing to restart classes. Speaking about the reopening, Amrita Bose Gupta said that for the past month she and her team had been receiving death threats but continued campaigning for political change. She said the BJP victory gave them courage to finally reopen the school.

Another similar incident emerged from the Majhipara locality of North 24 Parganas district. Viral videos showed BJP workers breaking the locks of a school building which locals confirmed that it had been converted into a TMC party office and a centre for illegal activities. BJP workers were seen asking children to return to school and assuring villagers that they no longer needed to fear “TMC goons”.

For many BJP supporters, these reopenings are being projected not just as administrative action, but as a symbolic reclaiming of education spaces that they had become victims of political control.

Restoration of puja at temples

The BJP’s reclamation efforts have also extended to the religious and cultural heart of Bengal. In a viral incident from Rampurhat in Birbhum district, BJP leaders reopened the Bhog room of the Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple, which locals said had been occupied for years and converted into a TMC party office.

Video shared by Banglar Barta Digital News showed BJP workers breaking open locks and removing chairs and banners linked to TMC activities from the temple premises. According to locals, the Bhog room, where prasad for Lord Jagannath used to be prepared, had stopped functioning as a religious space years ago.

Another major moment came from Asansol, where a Durga temple that had remained closed for years reopened soon after the BJP’s victory became clear. BJP MLA Krishnendu Mukherjee had promised before the elections that if elected, he would ensure the reopening of the temple.

On 4th May, after the BJP secured its landslide victory, Mukherjee personally visited the temple, unlocked the gates and performed puja. The temple, maintained by the Sri Sri Durga Mata Charitable Trust, had reportedly remained closed for years due to disputes and administrative restrictions, except during Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja.

As soon as the gates reopened, large crowds gathered at the temple. BJP supporters celebrated the moment as a sign of political and cultural change in Bengal. For many locals, the reopening was not just about a temple, but about restoring religious spaces that they felt had been neglected or politically controlled during the TMC government.

Social Justice: Returning livelihoods and dignity 

The TMC’s ‘Jungle Raj’ was not limited to the possession of public buildings; it even struck at the very survival of the common man. Across Bengal, stories are emerging of shops and small businesses that were forcibly snatched from those who refused to toe the party line. The BJP has now begun a process of “Social Justice” by returning these livelihoods to the public. 

One such case came from Purba Bardhaman district, where BJP workers helped reopen the shop of former BJP mandal president Binod Patel. According to local reports, the shop had been shut down by former TMC MLA Khokan Das after Patel refused to join the TMC following the 2021 elections.

After reopening the shop, Patel said that the BJP government would ensure that no one in Bengal suffers such political harassment again. Videos from the area showed BJP supporters celebrating the reopening as a moment of justice.

Another emotional case came from Koyra Kadamgachi station area in North 24 Parganas district. According to viral videos circulating online, a BJP worker’s shop had been forcibly taken over by TMC-linked miscreants during the lockdown period and converted into a liquor shop. The BJP worker later passed away, but after the BJP came to power, party workers returned the shop to his family.

In the video, the late worker’s wife, Rina Barui, explained how local TMC workers occupied the shop and kept delaying its return. She said her family repeatedly requested the return of the property, but were told to first support and vote for the TMC. Even after elections, the shop was not returned.

Rina Barui said, “Once the business started doing well, they set their sights on it.” She thanked BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and party workers for finally restoring the shop to her family. The video has now become symbolic for BJP supporters, who say it reflects the suffering faced by many party workers during the previous government.

These incidents are only the beginning of a larger process of reclaiming Bengal from years of fear, political violence and illegal occupation. The new administration faces a mountain of challenges, from recovering stolen school equipment to ensuring that the culprits who enjoyed political protection for fifteen years are finally brought to book. 





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