Oslo, May 6 (IANS) After the BJP’s historic win in West Bengal for the first time after Independence, Erik Solheim, Norwegian diplomat and former minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, said that it is time the West appreciates the strength of Indian democracy.

Erik Solheim took to social media ‘X’ and said, “Big victory for Prime Minister Modi in India state elections. It’s time the West appreciates the strength of Indian democracy! BJP has won a massive victory in state elections in West Bengal and Assam. The turnout was extraordinarily high, more than 90 per cent, far above normal participation in European and American elections. With a population of 106 million, West Bengal is much larger than any nation in the European Union, so this matters.”

Erik Solheim further said that the result should give western media a pause.

“The result should give western media a pause. They very often present Prime Minister Modi as a threat to democracy and his policies as some sort of Hindu extremism. The reality is exactly the opposite. India is not only the world’s largest democracy in size – it is also one of the most solid in content because its not a western transplant but rooted in Indian traditions and history,” he claimed.

He further said that the state election produced surprising results in West Bengal and Kerala and a shocking one in Tamil Nadu.

“The election produced surprising results in West Bengal and Kerala and a shocking one in Tamil Nadu. Still the losers accept defeat. The turnout was high. There was close to zero violence. Every citizen gets the ballot papers – even in the most remote places. The right to free speech is uncontested and Indians use it widely,” he said.

The Norwegian diplomat further said that when the BJP performed below expectations in the 2024 Parliament elections, many in western media wrote as if it was the beginning of the end for PM Modi.

“When BJP performed below expectations in the 2024 Parliament elections, many in western media wrote as if it was the beginning of the end for Modi. Since then the BJP has won state elections in Odisha, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar – and now Assam and West Bengal. What a revenge,” he said.

“At a time when democracy is threatened in the US and European democracies struggle to deliver, we should look to India for inspiration, not fear,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on what the White House described as a “historic, and decisive election victory” in West Bengal, where the BJP has secured a breakthrough win.

“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader. The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told IANS.

The BJP’s victory marks the first time PM Modi’s party has taken control of West Bengal, a politically significant state long dominated by the Opposition Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

The outcome ends Banerjee’s 15-year hold on power in the state and represents a major political gain for PM Modi, strengthening his position midway through his third term.

–IANS

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