Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a significant media interaction in Kolkata on Tuesday, projected a decisive political shift for West Bengal, asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would form the state government after April 2026. He confidently predicted a two-thirds majority for his party in the next assembly elections, framing the contest around the core issues of halting illegal infiltration and uprooting the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Confident Roadmap and Electoral Resolve
Addressing reporters for nearly 40 minutes, Shah outlined the BJP's ambitious plan for the state. He declared that the party has resolved to restore Bengal's lost glory once it assumes power after April 15, 2026. Criticising the current administration, he stated that development had stalled, while fear and corruption had become the state's defining characteristics. "We will uproot Trinamool," Shah asserted, highlighting his party's growth from just 2 Lok Sabha seats and 17% vote share to securing 18 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and 77 seats in the 2021 assembly polls.
Shah pointed out that the Congress and CPI(M) have been reduced to negligible presence, positioning the BJP as the principal opposition. With a 36% vote share in the 2021 polls, he expressed certainty that the BJP would cross the two-thirds mark in 2026. "I know that the next election will be fought on the issue of stopping infiltration and driving the infiltrators out," he emphasized, making border security a central poll plank.
Reassuring the Matua Community on CAA and Voting Rights
In a move to address growing anxieties, Shah specifically sought to allay the fears of the influential Matua community regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He revealed that on Monday night, he held a detailed conversation with Bongaon MP and Union Minister of State, Shantanu Thakur, regarding these concerns.
Shah gave a firm assurance that not a single Matua would lose their voting rights or citizenship. "Matuas have no reason to be afraid, and it is a promise of the BJP. The refugees who came to Bengal are citizens of India, and nobody can harm them. Not even Mamata Banerjee," he stated. BJP sources indicated that of the nearly 1.5 crore Matuas in the state, only about 70,000 have applied for citizenship under the CAA so far.
Accusations on Infiltration and Corruption
The Home Minister launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool government over the issue of illegal immigration. He alleged that stretches along the India-Bangladesh border remain unfenced because the state government has not allotted land to the Border Security Force (BSF), despite him sending seven letters on the matter.
"Infiltration is happening under the watch of Mamata Banerjee and that is changing the demography of the state. This is being done to strengthen her vote bank," Shah accused. He questioned the role of the state police and administration in nabbing infiltrators and those preparing forged documents for them.
Turning to corruption, Shah listed a series of arrested Trinamool leaders, including Partha Chatterjee, Jyotipriya Mallick, Anubrata Mandal, and Jiban Krishna Saha. He also mentioned leaders like Firhad Hakim and Sovan Chattopadhyay being accused in scams, countering Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims of a corruption-free government. He raised grave concerns about women's safety, alleging that women are being advised not to venture out after 7 PM.
In his concluding remarks, Shah urged the people of Bengal to judge the politics of mandir and masjid being played by different factions and instead focus on core issues like women's safety, corruption, youth unemployment, and the flight of industries. He appealed to the electorate to give the BJP a chance in the upcoming assembly polls to bring about a transformative change.
