The West Bengal assembly results bear an unequivocal message from the state’s people against appeasement politics. The Trinamool Congress government not only practised Muslim appeasement, it also failed to address the anxieties of Hindus about the state’s demographic transformation. The change is a result of a gap in the fertility rates between the Hindus and Muslims, as well as the influx of people from Bangladesh. Mamata Banerjee, who once fought against Left coercion and won the hearts of the people, lost sight of socio-economic realities and slipped into vote-bank politics. BJP, in contrast, acknowledged the state’s realities and articulated its politics accordingly. Credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving direction to the party’s campaign in a state where it lacked strong leadership as well as cadres. In the past, this prevented the consolidation of votes in the party’s favour. By leading the campaign, Modi turned disadvantage into an advantage.

In other states, the BJP has dismantled the tradition of one or two state leaders being seen as faces of the party. Its success rate has been more than expected. West Bengal is the latest example of the strategy’s success.

The victory is special for the RSS fraternity in its centenary year. Its founder,........

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