BJP's victory over TMC ended 15 years of rule and catalysed a major structural shift in West Bengal's politics. This loss of power has triggered an internal mutiny and a vertical split, with a significant bloc under Ritabrata Banerjee claiming the role of leader of the opposition. The collapse is evidenced by a much broader phenomenon of political migration and cadre defection as the party's grassroots workers began searching for a new protective umbrella.
While 2021 assembly elections saw top-level defections by figures like Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy, the 2026 cycle shifted toward grassroots mobilisation driven by anti-incumbency and the erosion of TMC's clientelist model. A critical, yet often overlooked, factor in this transition is the response of the party cadre. Understanding their role is vital to analysing this political shift.
