May 5, 2026 ANI -

Durga temple in Asansol ‘reopens’ after BJP’s decisive win in West Bengal

Durga temple in Asansol reopens (Photo/ANI)

Asansol (West Bengal) [India], May 5 (ANI): A Durga temple in West Bengal's Asansol, which had remained shut for the past several years, has been "re-opened" by the Shri Shri Durgamata Charitable Trust, BJP leader Nilu Chakraborty said on Tuesday.
BJP leader and member of the mandir committee, Nilu Chakraborty, accused the outgoing Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the State of being "anti-Hindu" and noted that the temple used to be opened only on occasions like Durga Puja and Kali Puja.
Chakraborty told ANI said that following the BJP's decisive win in the 2026 Assembly elections, the temple has been "reopened" and prayers will take place every day.
"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 BJP leader said.
"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," he added.
BJP's victory in West Bengal marks a significant moment for the party as it has been for long a marginal player in the state dominated for years by the Congress, Left parties and later Trinamool Congress.
The BJP won 206 seats in the State, performing way better than in the 2021 assembly elections, in which they won 77 seats. Trinamool Congress, which swept the last assembly poll by winning 212 seats, finished a distant second with 80 seats and is leading in one seat.
Despite the BJP's sweeping seat victory, the vote share revealed a more competitive undercurrent. The party secured 45.84% of the vote, while the TMC followed closely with 40.80%, highlighting that the electoral battle remained fiercely contested at the grassroots level.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP's sweeping victory in West Bengal as a "historic fulfilment" of the dream of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. For the BJP, this win transcends politics; it is the ultimate validation of their founder's mission to secure and prosper the state. (ANI)