Atal Behari Vajpayee once remarked, wistfully, to colleagues how painful it was for him that the BJP that had made strides in different parts of the country should hardly make any headway in West Bengal. Vajpayee’s words had a poignancy because Bengal was the home state of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who founded the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the earlier avatar of the BJP, in 1951. And, what is more, Vajpayee who went on to become the Prime Minister, had cut his teeth in politics by working as a personal assistant of Dr Mookerjee during the formative years of the Jana Sangh. Today, as the cacophony of campaigning has receded and West Bengal votes in the second and final phase on Wednesday, the BJP may be on the cusp of a breakthrough in Bengal. Whether or not it makes it to power this time, it is expected, by friends and foes, to improve on its 2021 performance when it had bagged 77 out of 294 seats, up from 3 in 2016. Will 2026 be a repeat of 2006 or of 2011?…