In his victory speech at the headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi following the BJP’s maiden electoral triumph in Bengal, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, made an important rhetorical point. He stated that change has come to Bengal: now, Mr Modi added, was the time to talk about — not revenge but — transition and Bengal’s future. Mr Modi’s emphasis on abjuring retribution is important because Bengal has traditionally borne the worrying germ of political vengeance. This year’s assembly election was different because violence had been contained to a large extent. But there is concern that the peace would not hold for long. There have been several reports of arson and intimidation with the Trinamool Congress, once the perpetrators of such brutality, now being on the receiving end. The administration and Bengal’s new minders must put an end to such lawlessness immediately.

An even bigger question pertains to the direction of the change that the BJP has in mind for the state. The trajectory should be obvious. One of the principal tasks of the new government would be the resuscitation of the rule of law. Anarchy, instability and crime can have no place in New Bengal. Moreover, the law must be upheld for all. Another major responsibility would be Bengal’s economic and industrial renaissance. A closer look at the overwhelming mandate that Bengal has blessed the BJP with would reveal that the state’s long history of disenchantment with its previous rulers — the Left Front and, later, the TMC — for their failure to prevent Bengal’s slide into an economic abyss was instrumental in ushering in this round of change. Tackling unemployment and migration and reindustrialising the state by complementing it with Bengal's core strengths must be the BJP’s top priorities. Will the BJP be able to deliver? This question is not irrelevant: the reason being the BJP’s tardy economic report card at the Centre. Despite being in power for over a decade in Delhi, the BJP has not been able to resolve India’s steep economic challenges. Its opponents would point to rising prices, joblessness and, now, the energy crisis and insist that things have, in fact, turned worse. There is a relevant issue that must not go unaddressed. Mr Modi’s assurance for growth had been holistic. In reality, India’s minorities have been pushed to the margins of social acceptability and economic welfare. Bengal has a sizeable representation from minorities. In Bengal, the BJP has a second chance to set aside its ideological mantle and prove that it can deliver vikas that is, indeed, for all.