India, May 5 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) bid to shed the "Bohiragoto" (outsider) tag, success in stoking the fear of illegal immigrants, and a campaign that avoided personal comments on West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee, even while highlighting misgovernance, worked in West Bengal, giving the party its first-ever electoral success in the state, party leaders said.

Till around 11.30pm, the BJP had won 206 assembly seats - ensuring that the state that birthed Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the BJP's progenitor- the Jana Sangh, will have its first BJP CM. Track latest updates in assembly elections 2026 here

Leaders cited above also credited the party's localised campaign, which used slogans such as "Joy Ma Kali"...