Kolkata's verdict, Bengal's government: The city that decides who rules

From 1991 to 2021, every party that dominated Kolkata went on to form a government in West Bengal. 

Kolkata is not just the capital of West Bengal, but it is also the key to the chief minister's seat. Over the last three decades, it has been centrestage to the state’s political story.

From 1991 to 2021, every party that dominated Kolkata went on to form a government in West Bengal. In the last seven Assembly elections, the city’s verdict went with the final result in the state — a picture that has been the same through regime changes, party alignments, and shifting voter choices.

In 1991, the Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), won eight seats in Kolkata, while the Indian National Congress managed to get three. The former formed the government in West Bengal. The trend continued in 1996, when the Left led in poll results in the city with six seats against Congress’s five and once again formed the government.

In 2001, even as the Trinamool Congress emerged as a growing force and won five seats in Kolkata, the Left retained the city narrowly by winning six seats and, consequently, retained power in Bengal. In 2006, the Left got stronger, winning nine seats in Kolkata, leading to another five years of Left rule in West Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress swept Kolkata with 11 seats in 2011. The city’s choice matched the statewide mandate. That year saw the end of 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal.

In 2016, the Trinamool Congress once again secured 11 seats in Kolkata and returned to power comfortably. The same pattern repeated in 2021, with 11 seats in the city and a third consecutive term in government.