With the BJP winning West Bengal Assembly elections for the first time, social media users jokingly blamed Lionel Messi's Kolkata visit in 2025 for TMC's defeat. "Messi came to Kolkata in 2011 and changed WB government. He came to Kolkata again in 2025 and changed...government again," a user wrote. "BJP agent Messi," another joked. "Argentinian Dhurandhar," a user wrote.