BJP Secures Majority in West Bengal Assembly, Jammu Jeweller Crafts Silver Lotus for PM Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured 206 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, surpassing the majority mark of 196, according to results declared by the Election Commission of India. The Trinamool Congress won 81 seats, ending its 15-year rule in the state. Results were declared for 293 constituencies, with repolling scheduled in the Falta seat on May 21 and counting set for May 24.
The BJP's victory marks a significant political shift in West Bengal, which had been under Trinamool Congress leadership since 2011, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a prominent critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress won two seats, the CPI(M) one, while smaller parties including the AISF and Aam Janata Unnayan Party won one and two seats respectively. The election saw the deletion of 90 lakh voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Rinku Chauhan, a BJP worker and jeweller from Jammu, has crafted a three-kilogram silver lotus by hand over two months as a personal tribute to Prime Minister Modi. Chauhan said the lotus symbolizes the party's long-awaited breakthrough in Bengal. His wife Anjali Chauhan described the effort as deeply personal, noting he often skipped meals while working on the piece.
Chauhan hopes the silver lotus will be displayed at the Prime Minister's residence or the BJP headquarters in Delhi. The Election Commission will finalize all results after the repoll in Falta, with the new Assembly expected to convene in the coming weeks.