Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former national vice-president Dilip Ghosh on Thursday, 30 April claimed that a visible shift in the body language of West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police personnel during the two phases of the state Assembly elections — held on 23 April and 29 April — is a clear indicator of an impending change of regime in the state. Ghosh, a former Lok Sabha member and the BJP candidate from Kharagpur (Sadar) Assembly constituency in West Midnapore, made the remarks while speaking to media persons in the morning.

What Ghosh Said About Police Conduct

"In both the phases of polls, especially in the second phase on Wednesday, the central forces have done an excellent job. But most importantly, a change in the body language of both the West Bengal Police and the Kolkata Police was evident on Wednesday. Generally, the body language of state police personnel changes when there is an inevitable change in regime in that state," said Ghosh.

The BJP leader argued that such behavioural shifts among state police are historically associated with transitions of political power. His remarks are likely to be contested by the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has governed West Bengal for 15 years.

Praise for Chief Election Commissioner

Ghosh was effusive in his praise for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, taking a pointed dig at critics who had mocked the official. "Some people mocked and gave him the name of 'Vanish Kumar'. Those people have themselves vanished now," he said.

According to Ghosh, the TMC had opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise from the outset, with the ruling party allegedly forming an association of booth-level officers at the ground level to resist it. He noted that the CEC was shown black flags during his visit to West Bengal, yet the revision exercise was completed successfully. "So, this time only genuine voters voted spontaneously and peacefully," Ghosh added.

Record Polling and Lowest Violence

The two-phase polling in West Bengal was conducted under what officials described as unprecedented security coverage. According to available data, the elections recorded the lowest-ever incidents of poll-related violence on both polling days. Notably, the average polling percentage across the two phases reportedly surpassed all previous records, both in West Bengal and nationally.

This comes amid a broader national conversation about the conduct of state elections under central security deployment, with opposition parties in several states having raised concerns about impartiality of both state police and central forces in recent electoral cycles.

What Happens Next

Vote counting is scheduled for 4 May, with results to be declared on the same day, again under what authorities have described as unprecedented security arrangements. The outcome will be closely watched as a referendum on 15 years of TMC rule in the state and a key test of BJP's electoral strategy in eastern India.