“Is There Really A ‘Minority Veto’ Over West Bengal Assembly? Here’s What A Closer Look At Data Reveals”, Swarajya, April 18, 2026

“In the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election 2021, the seven seats decided by fewer than 1,000 votes were Balarampur (margin 423), Dantan (623), Tamluk (793), Jalpaiguri (941), Ghatal (966), Kulti (679), and Dinhata (57).

Six of these have majority-community populations above 85 per cent. The seventh, Dinhata, has a minority-community population of 31 per cent, yet the BJP won it. Dinhata’s minority-community share of 31 per cent is approximately the same as the projected minority-community share of West Bengal’s population in the upcoming Census.

That is why the author thought it prudent to treat Dinhata as an appropriate case to test the claim of a ‘minority veto’ in West Bengal, even though the seat later went to the All India Trinamool Congress(TMC) in a bypoll. TMC’s bypoll victory is credited to fear of state mobilisation, post-poll violence and larger trend of bypolls being pro-incumbency……..”

Read full article at swarajyamag.com