Bengal's Violent Past vs BJP's Promise: A Historic Test For Suvendu Adhikari

Updated: Jun 01, 2026 16:16 pm IST Published On Jun 01, 2026 16:08 pm IST Last Updated On Jun 01, 2026 16:16 pm IST

Published On Jun 01, 2026 16:08 pm IST

Last Updated On Jun 01, 2026 16:16 pm IST

Political violence has been one of the oldest realities festering in West Bengal's complex landscape. It is not something that began yesterday, nor can it be attributed to a single party or a single era. From the Congress period before 1977, to the decades of Left Front rule, and later the rise of the Trinamool Congress, Bengal's politics has repeatedly witnessed violence, intimidation, ideological clashes, and bloodshed. With the BJP storming to power, naturally there was hope that finally the state would see politics with less or no violence.

Recent incidents involving protests and assault against Trinamool leaders such as Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, once again raised concerns about mob politics. Public anger and political dissent are natural in a democracy, but controlling mobs and preventing violence remains the responsibility of the ruling establishment.

At the moment, the BJP government may still be in its political honeymoon phase. But eventually, public expectations will rise sharply. The real test will begin when the administration is forced to choose between political convenience and institutional restraint. Will the BJP be able to prevent public anger or political outrage from taking a violent shape? The Trinamool was accused of enabling such politics, but after the elections, the BJP vehemently opposed and warned against violence. However, this is not new for Bengal.

Before the CPI(M)-led Left Front came to power in 1977, West Bengal was under the Congress regime led by Siddhartha........

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