West Bengal witnessed one of the biggest political changes in its modern history on Saturday, 9th May, when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of the state. For the first time ever, the Bharatiya Janata Party formed a government in Bengal, ending more than fifteen years of Trinamool Congress rule under Mamata Banerjee.

The oath-taking ceremony at Brigade Parade Ground turned into a massive political event as thousands of supporters, workers and senior leaders gathered to witness what BJP supporters described as the beginning of a “new Bengal”. The atmosphere was filled with celebration, slogans and visible emotion among party workers who had spent years building the BJP’s presence in a state once considered impossible terrain for the party.

The BJP’s rise in Bengal did not happen overnight. In 2011, the party had no significant presence in the Assembly. Over the years, however, it steadily expanded its organisation village by village, booth by booth, turning itself into the main challenger to the Trinamool Congress. BJP leaders repeatedly accused the TMC government of running the state through fear, intimidation and political violence, often referring to the administration as a system of “jungle raj”.

That long political journey reached its biggest milestone on 4th May when the Assembly election results were declared. Out of 293 constituencies, the BJP won a massive 206 seats, while the All India Trinamool Congress was reduced to only 81 seats. The result shocked political observers across the country. One of the biggest setbacks for the TMC came from Bhabanipur, where former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her own seat.

For many BJP supporters, the election result was not just a political victory but the beginning of what they called a larger effort to “reclaim Bengal”. Within days of forming the government, BJP workers and leaders across different districts began reopening schools, temples and shops which they alleged had either been illegally occupied or politically controlled during the previous government.

Schools in Villages Begin Reopening After Years of Closure

One of the earliest examples of this political and administrative shift emerged from Jharkhali in the South 24 Parganas district. Videos from the area quickly spread across social media showing villagers, children and local residents reopening the gates of the Aranyaj School after nearly two years of alleged illegal occupation by local TMC leaders.

The reopening became an emotional moment for many families in the area. Children were seen entering the school premises again while villagers cleaned classrooms and celebrated outside the building.

The school had originally been established in 2023 by social worker Amrita Bose Gupta. It was designed as a free English-medium school for poor children living in remote areas. Apart from education, the institution also focused on women’s empowerment and skill-development activities.

According to the school administration, the entire property was allegedly taken over in July 2024 by groups linked to the Trinamool Congress. Since then, the school reportedly remained shut, affecting the education of children from poor families who depended on it.

In the FIR filed by Amrita Bose Gupta, she described the violence during the alleged attack on the school campus in disturbing detail. She claimed that TMC goons led by Bishnupur TMC MLA Dilip Mondal entered the premises early in the morning, disconnected electricity connections and CCTV wires, dragged residents out of their rooms and physically assaulted women and elderly members of the family.

She further alleged that her young son was attacked during the violence and that her mother was beaten unconscious while trying to protect him.

While speaking to OpIndia, the school administration said that the attackers looted books, computers, furniture, solar panels, hostel items and even sanitary napkin manufacturing machines that were being used for women’s welfare activities. Cash, uniforms, food grains and several other materials were also allegedly stolen during the occupation.

Despite FIRs and chargesheets being filed, locals claimed that strong legal action never took place because the accused enjoyed political protection under the previous government.

After the BJP formed the government, however, the situation reportedly changed rapidly. Fresh videos from the village showed residents cleaning the school compound, hoisting the national flag and preparing classrooms for students once again.

Speaking about the reopening, Amrita Bose Gupta said that she and her team had continued campaigning for political change despite receiving death threats over the past month. According to her, the BJP’s electoral victory gave local residents the courage to reopen the institution after years of fear and uncertainty.

Another incident surfaced from the Majhipara area of North 24 Parganas district. Viral videos showed BJP workers breaking open the locks of a school building which locals claimed had been converted into a TMC party office and allegedly used for illegal activities.

In the videos, BJP workers could be seen urging children to return to school while assuring villagers that they no longer needed to fear “TMC goons”.

For BJP supporters, these incidents are being presented not merely as administrative developments but as symbolic attempts to reclaim educational spaces which they believe had fallen under political control during the previous regime.

Revival of Puja and Religious Spaces Across Bengal

The BJP’s campaign of reclaiming Bengal also extended into the religious and cultural spaces of the state.

One of the most widely discussed incidents came from Rampurhat in Birbhum district, where BJP leaders reopened the Bhog room of the Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple. Locals alleged that the room had remained under occupation for years and had effectively been turned into a TMC party office.

Videos shared by Banglar Barta Digital News showed BJP workers breaking open locks and removing chairs, banners and other materials linked to political activities from inside the temple premises.

According to local residents, the Bhog room once served as the place where prasad for Lord Jagannath was prepared regularly. Over the years, however, religious activities there had reportedly stopped completely.

Another major development came from Asansol. A Durga temple that had reportedly remained shut for years reopened soon after the BJP’s victory became official.

Before the elections, BJP MLA Krishnendu Mukherjee had promised local residents that if elected, he would ensure that the temple gates were reopened permanently.

On 4th May, immediately after the BJP’s landslide victory, Mukherjee personally visited the temple, unlocked its gates and performed puja inside the premises.

The temple, managed by the Sri Sri Durga Mata Charitable Trust, had reportedly remained closed for years due to disputes and administrative restrictions, except during occasions like Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja.

As soon as the gates reopened, huge crowds began gathering outside the temple. Devotees entered the premises with flowers, incense sticks and prayers, while BJP supporters celebrated the reopening as a major sign of political and cultural change in Bengal.

For many local residents, the moment carried emotional and symbolic importance. They viewed the reopening not only as the revival of a temple but also as the restoration of religious spaces which they believed had been ignored or politically controlled under the previous administration.

“Social Justice” Through Restoration of Shops and Livelihoods

The BJP has also started highlighting cases where ordinary people allegedly lost their businesses and livelihoods because of political pressure during the TMC government.

Party leaders have described this process as a campaign of “Social Justice”, focused on returning shops and small businesses to individuals who were allegedly targeted for refusing to support the ruling party.

One such case emerged from Purba Bardhaman district, where BJP workers helped reopen the shop of former BJP mandal president Binod Patel.

According to local reports, the shop had allegedly been shut down by former TMC MLA Khokan Das after Patel refused to join the Trinamool Congress following the 2021 Assembly elections.

After reopening the shop, Patel stated that the new BJP government would ensure that no citizen in Bengal would again face such political harassment. Videos from the area showed BJP workers and supporters celebrating the reopening as a moment of justice and relief.

Another deeply emotional case emerged from the Koyra Kadamgachi station area in North 24 Parganas district.

According to viral videos circulating online, a BJP worker’s shop had allegedly been forcibly occupied by TMC-linked miscreants during the lockdown period and later converted into a liquor shop. The BJP worker later passed away, but after the BJP came to power, party workers returned the shop to his family.

In the video, the late worker’s wife, Rina Barui, described the years of struggle her family had faced. She alleged that local TMC workers occupied the property and repeatedly delayed returning it despite several requests from the family.

According to her, they were allegedly told that the shop would only be returned if the family agreed to support and vote for the TMC. Even after elections ended, the property reportedly remained under occupation.

Rina Barui said, “Once the business started doing well, they set their sights on it.”

She thanked BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and party workers for finally helping restore the shop to her family. The video has since become widely shared among BJP supporters, many of whom say it reflects the suffering faced by several party workers during the previous government.

These developments are now being projected by BJP leaders and supporters as the beginning of a much larger effort to reclaim Bengal from years of alleged political violence, fear and illegal occupation.

At the same time, the new administration faces enormous challenges. From recovering allegedly looted school equipment to investigating years-old complaints and ensuring accountability against those accused of enjoying political protection for fifteen years, the government now faces the difficult task of turning political promises into long-term governance.