In 2011, the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to win even a single reserved seat in Assam and West Bengal. Cut to 2026, and the party’s performance had transformed drastically.
The BJP this time won all 14 Scheduled Tribe seats and all five Scheduled Caste seats it contested in Assam — a perfect strike rate. In Assam’s SC constituencies, the BJP’s vote share rose sharply from 10.3 per cent in 2011 to 55.3 per cent in 2026. In ST seats, it increased from 5.4 per cent to 52.6 per cent.
A similar political shift unfolded in West Bengal. The party won 51 of the 68 SC seats and all 16 ST seats. In West Bengal’s SC constituencies, the BJP’s vote share climbed from 3.5 per cent in 2011 to 46.8 per cent in 2026. In ST seats, it surged from 6.1 per cent to 50.3 per cent.
In Assam, the BJP’s rise after 2016 was driven by a combination of factors: alliances with regional forces, welfare outreach, organisational expansion, and growing support among tea tribe communities. The 2023 delimitation was also a factor. The redrawing of constituency boundaries increased the political weight of several Hindu-majority and tribal-dominated regions where the BJP already enjoyed strong support.
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