Preventing demographic change, ending corruption, preserving Hindu identity and more: Decoding BJP’s strategy to counter TMC in West Bengal Vidhan Sabha election

The Pishi-Bhaipo regime of Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee has set West Bengal back decades. Once, the slogan of ‘Maa Mati Manush‘ evoked hope and prosperity. Today, it is a constant reminder of a corrupt government, which weaponised appeasement politics and drastic demographic shifts to remain in power for 15 years. While many might believe that there is no respite in sight, we must remember that no one is invincible in politics. At one time, it was unimaginable to shake the foundation of the Left regime in West Bengal. By the 2021 West Bengal Vidhan Sabha election, the party that had ruled Bengal for 34 years was reduced to 0 seats. Change is inevitable, but the question is when? It is not a hidden fact that West Bengal remains one of the last frontiers for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the party has gone from 3 seats in 2016 to 77 in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha election, the BJP needs at least 148 seats to form the government in the State. The Trinamool Congress is faced with the imminent challenge of anti-incumbency, coupled with the public angst against the Pishi-Bhaipo regime. Concerns over growing corruption, unemployment, economic downturn, Bangladeshi infiltration, Muslim appeasement and systematic erasure of Hindu identity and culture have shoved the TMC against the wall. The iron is hot to strike! A party like the BJP, with political heavyweights such as Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at the helm of affairs, understands it better than anyone. This is why a 4-pronged strategy has been adopted to change the destiny of West Bengal this time. Preserving voter integrity and preventing demographic change It has been a long-held belief that Mamata was unfairly winning Vidhan Sabha elections in Bengal with the help of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. While the concerns remained, nothing was done to fix the situation. All of that changed in 2025 with the rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State. So far, 91 lakh names have been removed. Without the SIR, an additional 91 lakh ineligible votes would have been polled in favour of the Trinamool Congress supremo. The preservation of voter integrity has been a key election issue for the public. The BJP has been upfront in holding the sanctity of the voter list and preventing Bangladeshi infiltrators from participating in the Indian electoral process. At the same time, the party has been unfettered in its strong stance on stopping illegal immigration by securing the border. The BJP has also brought to the public limelight how the TMC refused to provide land for border fencing to the Border Security Force (BSF). It has assured Bengali Hindus, who have faced the brunt of exodus, political violence and religious ostracism in Muslim-majority areas of Murshidabad and Malda, that all efforts will be made to protect Bengal from turning into Bangladesh. Upholding Hindu identity and culture The rabid appeasement politics of Mamata Banerjee in favour of milk-yielding cows (a term she used for Muslims in 2019) have left Bengali Hindus fending for themselves. Her preferential treatment (doles for Imams, making Urdu the second language of Bengal, shifting Durga Puja visarjan timings to accommodate Muharram processions) has miffed the majority Hindu community. The deliberate inaction of Mamata’s police and administration in the case of religiously motivated riots in Murshidabad and Malda has even led to the exodus of Hindus to Assam. The BJP has been empathetic to the cause of these victims and thus has called for Hindu vote consolidation. As they say, “United we stand, divided we fall!” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has integrated Hindu rituals during his campaign in the run-up to the elections. Chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ reverberated during his rallies. Sadhus in saffron robes came out in his support in large numbers. This is significant at a time when TMC MLAs are singing ‘Kaaba in my heart and Medina in my eyes‘ to woo voters. Adhikari has even ended his campaign by prostrating before Maa Durga and Mahadev. He had only one appeal to the Hindus – “Save Bengal at all costs.” Welfarism and Economic upliftment When Mamata Banerjee was elected to power in 2011, Bengalis had high hopes. They were under the impression that she would undo decades of economic ruin caused by the Communist regime and usher the State into a new era of economic development. However, none of those aspirations took the shape of reality. Even after 15 years, West Bengal continues to suffer from large-scale unemployment, economic instability, a high debt-to-GDP ratio and a lack of quality jobs. Welfare schemes have thus become the go-to means of survival for many people in the State. The TMC regime has ensured that millions of voters are directly dependent on it for monthly doles. Unlike the 2016 and 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP has decided to beat Mamata in her own game of ‘subsidies’ and ‘honorariums.’ In its manifesto, the party has assured to pay ₹3,000 per month to women. It is double the amount that the TMC regime pays to women through its Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. The BJP has promised a similar pay to unemployed youths and a 1-time grant of ₹50000 for unmarried female students who enroll into undergraduate courses. Moreover, it has offered financial assistance of ₹21000 for pregnant women from poor families. The BJP has assured to pay farmers ₹9000 annually and increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy. The party has gone even further to make bus travel free for all women in Bengal, ensure the implementation of the AYushman Bharat scheme, implement the 7th Pay Commission for all government employees and generate 1 crore jobs till 2031. All of these announcements are going to be a game-changer in the West Bengal election. Crusade against the corruption of the Mamata regime Ever since it came to power, the TMC regime has been involved in large-scale scams, defrauding poor and vulnerable sections of society. TMC leaders have been involved in the Rose Valley scam, the teachers’ recruitment scam, the Sharda scam, the cow-smuggling scam, tab scam and even a coal scam. Never in the history of Bengal did government employees lose their permanent jobs until, of course, Mamata made it possible in April 2025. Due to gross irregularities that took place under her watch, a whopping 25,573 teachers and non-teaching staff lost their government jobs. The fraud perpetrated by her regime in the guise of social engineering has led to the cancellation of OBC certificates. TMC’s culture of corruption has enabled its Ministers to grow their assets and wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. We all recall the large stacks of cash (roughly about ₹50 crores) recovered from the residence of Partha Chatterjee’s friend. The middle-class Bengalis are frustrated with the abuse of power and loot by the TMC regime. While Pishi puts up a show of being humble (has an Apple iPhone, Apple watch, Whoop band, gold earrings and more) in a white saree and chappal, her Bhaipo’s name has been shrouded in scams. Isn’t it ironic? A common man from Bengal has to leave his ageing parents in the State to find a livelihood in other parts of India, while Abhishek Banerjee can financially enrich himself by living in the heart of West Bengal.