From The Editor’s Desk: The Bengali political psyche is defined by a temperament that is both deeply emotional and ruthlessly unforgiving. In Bengal, political love and hatred are intense, and severe. As the dust settles on the 2026 elections, the state’s history offers a clear warning to those currently exiting the stage.

The fall of the Indian National Congress serves as the first chapter in this cycle of exile. Dominant until 1977, the party was voted out in a wave of transition that proved permanent. Congress has never staged a comeback; even failed to open its account in 2021. While it managed a meager two seats in 2026, it keeps struggling to remain relevant.

The Communists met an identical fate. After a massive 34-year reign from 1977 to 2011, the Left was unceremoniously installed on the opposition benches, only to watch their influence evaporate. Like the Congress, the CPI(M) and its allies now struggle for a seat or two; after a total washout in 2021, the CPI(M) claimed just a single seat in 2026.

Now, the bell tolls for Mamata Banerjee. After 15 years of undisputed rule, her administration was voted out in 2026. The central question remains whether she will meet the same fate as the Congress and the Left. If Bengal’s political history is a reliable compass, the answer is a resounding “yes,” barring a political miracle.

The mechanics of this decline can be attributed to another unique local phenomenon: the speed of political migration. In Bengal, party workers switch loyalties and allegiances faster than anywhere else in India. We are witnessing this exodus in real-time following the BJP’s massive win. As the rank and file desert the defeated for the winners, they cement the state’s most enduring political law: once a party is forced out of power in Bengal, it is never allowed back in.