New Delhi, May 3 -- The political dust may have settled as West Bengal gears up for a new government, but the more profound questions are still to be settled. Elections offer the promise of renewal; governance must deliver it. For a state with such an intellectual legacy and political significance, the challenge is not winning elections, but turning stability into enduring gains in the well-being of its people.

Data provides a note of caution and opportunity. The economic and social profile of West Bengal has changed marginally over the last decade. Based on PRICE's ICE 360deg surveys, almost 20% of households are in the destitute category, whereas more than half are aspirers, struggling to achieve stable upward mobility.

The growth of ...