The West Bengal Assembly elections and subsequent election results are often referred to as “Khela Hobe.” This phrase was prominently heard during the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. It was originally a reactive phrase, frequently used by Mamata Banerjee in her speeches during the 2021 Assembly elections. In fact, during that election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began to believe that the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections was almost certain. Consequently, he began to mock Mamata Banerjee by referring to her as “Didi O Didi” in all his speeches, attempting to belittle her. Mamata Banerjee caught wind of PM Modi’s “Didi O Didi” phrase and responded with “Khela Hobe.” And indeed, the game was played out in the 2021 Assembly elections. The TMC won a majority, and Mamata Banerjee became Chief Minister.
Although Mamata Banerjee lost the Nandigram Assembly election that year, her TMC party achieved a landslide victory, even more so than in the previous election, and she retained her position as Chief Minister under Article 164 of the Constitution. She subsequently won the by-election from the Bhawanipur Assembly constituency and became an elected member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, leaving her Chief Ministership unaffected and completing her five-year term.
For the 2026 Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee, considering the previous election victory synonymous with the phrase “Khela Hobe,” began using it during the current Assembly election campaign. The widespread violence that occurred on election day in 2021 and the allegations against TMC workers in the violence, clearly demonstrates the TMC’s perspective on the meaning of the phrase “Khela Hobe” in West Bengal.
This time, during the West Bengal election campaign, senior BJP leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shastri were seen speaking at election rallies, touting the phrase “Khela Hove,” heavily promoted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the 2021 elections, as the key to victory. Perhaps they also believed that by using this phrase, they would assuage their regret for missing out on power in the 2021 assembly elections. However, the BJP’s approach differs slightly from Mamata Banerjee’s direct influence. Its approach involved jailing TMC supporters who mobilize votes for the TMC, demoralizing the TMC, and mobilizing its workers to engage in innovative tactics that would enable it to defeat the TMC.
However, the judiciary’s role in this election was such that neither Mamata Banerjee nor the BJP could play any trick in the West Bengal assembly elections. The judiciary kept both of them in check. Two days before the assembly elections on April 23rd, the Supreme Court reprimanded Mamata Banerjee for forcibly disappearing files in the I-PAC case. The Calcutta High Court also thwarted the BJP’s intention to manipulate the Election Commission and investigating agencies by staying the Election Commission’s decision to arrest TMC workers on the pretext of creating anarchy. Both parties failed to pull any punches this time, and only a few isolated incidents occurred on election day. Then the public revealed its true colors.
Yes! The voters of West Bengal certainly made a significant impact, increasing the voter turnout to 90% by 5:00 pm on April 23rd. And their game is such that the TMC is claiming it as a game in its favor, while the BJP claims it was a game in its favor. This voter turnout could be in protest of the inconvenience caused to the public by the SIR (Substantial Revision of Voters) and in support of driving out infiltrators. The purpose of this game played by voters may be anything but easily understood. But whatever the case, the voters of West Bengal have set a new record by registering a 90% voter turnout.