Last week, election results in the Indian state of West Bengal revealed the dramatic defeat of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party, which ruled the state legislature for the past 15 years. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads India’s national government and controls 22 other states and union territories, finally breached this regional bastion.

Capturing nearly 46 percent of the vote to the AITC’s 41 percent, the BJP won 207 seats in the legislature while the AITC picked up 80. It also unseated longtime West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. So, what explains this stunning victory in the state, which prides itself on its subnational ethos?

Last week, election results in the Indian state of West Bengal revealed the dramatic defeat of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party, which ruled the state legislature for the past 15 years. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads India’s national government and controls 22 other states and union territories, finally breached this regional bastion.

Capturing nearly 46 percent of the vote to the AITC’s 41 percent, the BJP won 207 seats in the legislature while the AITC picked up 80. It also unseated longtime West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. So, what explains this stunning victory in the state, which prides itself on its subnational ethos?

A combination of factors explains the BJP’s success. The AITC without a doubt faced anti-incumbency sentiment, in part owing to the fact that it failed to attract any significant economic investment in West Bengal during its years in power. Jobs in the state’s manufacturing sector paying decent wages stagnated in recent years. With few viable opportunities at home, many young people have moved from West Bengal to other parts of India seeking better prospects.

These factors certainly contributed to a disillusionment with Banerjee’s government—a disillusionment........

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