• Source:JND

After the BJP received a historic mandate, a Durga temple in West Bengal's Asansol was reopened by the Shri Shri Durgamata Charitable Trust after several years, BJP leader Nilu Chakraborty said on Tuesday.

The BJP leader, who is also a member of the mandir committee, accused the outgoing Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the State of being "anti-Hindu". She highlighted that under the Mamata government, the temple used to be opened only on occasions like Durga Puja and Kali Puja.

While talking to news agency ANI, Chakraborty said that the temple was opened after the BJP's decisive win in the 2026 Assembly elections, adding that now prayers will take place every day. 

Chakraborty said, "After so many days, the temple has reopened, and all the Hindus in Asansol are happy... For a long time, we used to repeatedly tell the leaders of Delhi in meetings that a Hindu temple is here, but except for Durga Puja and Kali Puja, no one allows any puja to happen."

"The previous government was a completely anti-Hindu government, but today, when all the Hindus in Bengal voted for the BJP, the BJP has come to power, and this temple has reopened," the BJP leader added.

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BJP's newly elected MLA from Asansol Uttar, Krishnendu Mukherjee, had promised to reopen the temple if he won the election. As he registered a victory in the assembly elections, he himself visited the temple and facilitated its reopening.

The BJP's victory marks a major success of the party as the state was long ruled by the Congress, Left parties and later TMC.

The saffron party was trying for over a decade to make inroads and emerge as a reliable option for the public against the all-dominant TMC. Guided by the issues of illegal migrants, violence, financial breakdown and women's security, the BJP propelled to its best-ever performance, winning 206 seats in the state, performing way better than in the 2021 assembly elections, in which they won 77 seats.

TMC, which swept the 2021 assembly poll by winning 212 seats, finished a distant second, securing merely 81 seats.

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Despite a big difference in seats, the parties have a vote share difference of less than 5 per cent. BJP's vote share is 45.84 per cent, while the TMC followed closely with 40.80 per cent.

The vote shares indicate that the poll battle was fought fiercely at the grassroots level, but the BJP's assembly-wise voter base consolidation was tighter.

(With ANI Inputs)


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