Kolkata: The results of the West Bengal Assembly elections have drawn national attention, with a notable outcome from the Ausgram constituency.
Kalita Maji, a woman who earlier worked as a domestic help earning around ₹2,500 per month, has now been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Kalita Maji, a resident under the Guskara municipality area, had been working in multiple households to support her livelihood. She had contested the 2021 elections from the same constituency but lost by a narrow margin. The Bharatiya Janata Party fielded her again in the recent election.
This time, she defeated Shyama Prasanna Lohar of the All India Trinamool Congress by a margin of 12,535 votes in Ausgram.
The election results indicate a major shift in the state's political landscape. In the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, the BJP secured 206 seats, achieving a clear majority. This outcome ends the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee.
In another significant result, Mamata Banerjee lost from the Bhabanipur constituency to Suvendu Adhikari.
With this result, it is the first time since 1972 that the same party is in power both at the Centre and in the state of West Bengal.
Speaking after her victory, Kalita Maji said she reached this stage for her child's future and to serve the people, adding that individuals from small villages can achieve big goals with determination.