I still remember that day vividly. I was travelling with Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Kolkata for a BJP National Executive meeting. In those days, it was quite common for the BJP to reserve an entire railway coach. We were on the Kalka Mail, a group of journalists accompanying Vajpayee.

During that journey, Vajpayee told me something that stayed with me. He said he had not served as the private secretary to Syama Prasad Mookerjee but carried a lingering regret that the BJP had remained largely confined to the Hindi heartland. He believed that only when the party could establish itself as a truly pan-Indian force, especially in a state like West Bengal, then under Left rule, would that regret fade.

Years later, that moment has arrived. The BJP has risen in Bengal, the very land associated with Syama Prasad Mookerjee. There is no doubt that this marks a historic shift.

If we rewind a little further, the BJP’s early breakthroughs in Kolkata were symbolic but significant. When the party won just two wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, Jyoti Basu was the CM. Lal Krishna Advani had remarked from Delhi, “Kolkata mein BJP ka khata khul gaya hai.” It was a modest beginning, but it signalled intent.

Fast forward to today, and under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the BJP has managed to turn what once seemed impossible into reality. This transformation did not happen overnight. It was the result of a singular focus, sustained effort, and a carefully recalibrated strategy.

The Modi-Shah duo approached Bengal almost like determined students preparing for a crucial exam with discipline, timing, and sharp strategy. Even in 2021, the BJP had made a major leap, increasing its vote share and jumping from just three MLAs to 77 in the assembly. That itself was a remarkable success and established the party as a serious contender.

However, the lessons from 2021 were crucial. Through a process of trial and error, the........

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