Trump congratulates PM Modi after BJP’s ‘historic’ West Bengal victory

US President Donald Trump on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP’s sweeping victory in West Bengal, calling the result “historic”.

The remarks came at a politically significant moment for the BJP after the party wrested control of West Bengal from the Trinamool Congress for the first time, ending Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year tenure in the state. The Bengal result has emerged as the biggest talking point of the election cycle, with the BJP projecting it as a major expansion of its political footprint in eastern India.

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The praise from Trump was first conveyed by White House spokesman Kush Desai and later amplified by the US Embassy in India through a post on X.

“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader. The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” Desai said, according to the post shared by the embassy.

Why the Bengal victory is being seen as politically significant

For years, West Bengal remained one of the BJP’s toughest electoral battlegrounds despite the party’s rise across much of the country. The latest result marks the first time the BJP has managed to cross the final hurdle in the politically crucial state.

With a population of more than 10 crore and a deeply influential political culture, Bengal has long held strategic importance in national politics. Over several elections, the BJP kept gaining ground in Bengal, slowly turning itself from an outsider into a serious challenger before finally breaking through with a victory

The result is also being viewed as a key moment in Modi’s third term, with the BJP portraying it as evidence of a changing political mood in the state.

Mamata Banerjee raises questions over poll process

In the aftermath of the defeat, Mamata Banerjee questioned the electoral process and alleged irregularities in the conduct of the elections. The TMC chief also lost her own assembly seat to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations and described the verdict as a clear rejection of the Trinamool Congress government. Party leaders argued that issues related to governance and law and order had shaped voter sentiment in the state.

The Bengal verdict came even as the BJP retained power in Assam and Puducherry, though several regional and opposition parties made gains elsewhere. Despite that, the scale and symbolism of the Bengal result overshadowed most other outcomes nationally.