In some senses, BJP's massive victory in West Bengal is the biggest electoral event in the state's post-Independence history. It suggests not just a change of government but of regime. Its implications have, and will, continue to be analysed. It has several triggers: fatigue turning to anger vis-a-vis the TMC government; a larger mood for change and economic hope; a Hindu consolidation. The ratio and prioritisation can be debated. But all three factors were causative.
In a larger, pan-India reckoning, what does May 4 mean? Three implications stand out:
