Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 5 : Sadguru Riteshwar Maharaj has termed the West Bengal poll outcome a "huge democratic victory," alleging that women and Hindus in the state had faced "terrible and painful incidents" and that the verdict reflects public protest against those issues.
Speaking after the results on Monday, he said, "Today is a protest against that; today is a huge victory. After independence, if there is the biggest democratic victory anywhere in India, it is the victory of Bengal."
"The women, Hindus and people have faced those terrible and painful incidents. Today, this is a protest against that; today, this is a huge victory. After independence, if there is the biggest democratic victory anywhere in India, then today it is the victory of Bengal... India was about to be divided into pieces," he said.
He further claimed that the mandate has "stopped India from being divided into pieces" and asserted that "Hindutva will be protected" along with the safety of people.
"I feel that this victory stopped India from being divided. Hindutva will be protected. People will be protected...," Sadguru Riteshwar Maharaj said.
On Monday, the BJP's victory in West Bengal marks a significant moment for the party as it has been for long a marginal player in the state dominated for years by the Congress, Left parties and later Trinamool Congress.
As per the latest data released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP has secured 206 seats out of 294 seats in the Assembly. TMC won 80 seats and is currently leading in one for which counting is underway.
Congress won two seats, while Humayun Kabir's AJUP was restricted to two seats. CPI(M) managed to win only one seat.
Despite the BJP's sweeping seat victory, the vote share revealed a more competitive undercurrent. The party secured 45.84% of the vote, while the TMC followed closely with 40.80%, highlighting that the electoral battle remained fiercely contested at the grassroots level.
The CPI(M) garnered 4.45%, and Congress secured 2.97%, while other smaller parties and independents collectively contributed around 4.28%. The numbers suggest that while the BJP translated its vote share into a decisive seat advantage, the Opposition retained a substantial voter basepointing to a divided yet shifting electorate.
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election, the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee secured a decisive mandate, winning 213 out of 294 seats with a vote share of around 48 per cent, while the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats and roughly 38 per cent votes, marking a sharp rise from its previous tally. The Left-Congress alliance failed to win any seats.
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