In an unprecedented mandate, the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the 2026 West Bengal elections, ending the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee. As the results poured in and the celebrations began, social media found the unlikely protagonist of the political shift, Lionel Messi.
Within minutes of trending confirming the BJP’s landslide, fans flooded the platforms with cocky shots linking the party’s victory to Messi’s chaotic visit to Kolkata in 2025. What followed was a flurry of memes, jokes and satirical posts that turned a political outcome into a sporting point.
“Messi came to Calcutta in 2011 and changed the government of West Bengal. Messi came to Calcutta again in 2025 and changed the government of WB again. GOAT has unbelievable powers,” wrote one user.
X users joked that Messi was an agent of the BJP and hastened the downfall of the TMC in the state.
“BJP agent Messi started the downfall of Didi,” while some went a step further and quipped, “Messi has done more in West Bengal than Modi.”
The humor, though over-the-top, draws on a real flare-up in the state’s recent past, Messi’s ill-fated performance at Salt Lake’s Vivekananda Yuvabharati Stadium.
LIONEL MESSI’S VISIT TO CALCUTTA
What was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime event quickly descended into chaos. Fans who paid premium prices were disappointed as Messi’s time on the pitch lasted less than 10 minutes. Surrounded by politicians, officials and security personnel, the Argentina star was unable to complete the planned lap of the stadium, leading to frustration in the stands.
The situation escalated soon after with sections of the crowd resorting to vandalism, throwing bottles and damaging property as security tried to regain control. Visuals of angry fans and a visibly mismanaged event flooded social media, turning what should have been a celebration into a public relations disaster.
The fallout was immediate. Mamata Banerjee apologized and ordered an inquiry, while the police arrested the organizer of the event. The incident also set off a political malaise with the BJP attacking the state government for its handling of the event.
In fact, the Messi fiasco became part of the BJP’s campaign narrative in the months leading up to the election. In several campaign videos, the party accused the TMC of bringing “international shame” to Kolkata, a city long associated with a rich football culture. The report positioned the incident as emblematic of a wider administrative failure.
Remember how TMC brought international shame to the City of Joy by sending Lionel Messi away. Mahajungle Raj spared no one. Bengal’s great sports culture needs to be brought back. pic.twitter.com/POdMXBOhjz— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) April 26, 2026
BENGAL ELECTIONS: BJP EXPOSES TMC
Months later, as the BJP surged across regions from North Bengal to key urban centers like Kolkata and Howrah, social media users brazenly connected the dots.
Of course, the electoral verdict was shaped by a range of political factors, from anti-establishment to organizational strength on the ground. But in the Internet version of events, the story was much simpler.
Somewhere between the chaotic exit from the stadium and the upset at the ballot box, Lionel Messi, at least in meme lore, did it again.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
04 May 2026 20:53 IST
