Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Kolkata on Wednesday, pressing party cadres to adopt aggressive targets as the state moves towards the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. Shah urged workers to aim for victory across urban constituencies, signalling a sustained BJP push in territory traditionally dominated by the Trinamool Congress.
West Bengal Assembly election focus as BJP sets targets
Shah told the gathering that the BJP would seek to capture 22 of the 28 seats in and around Kolkata, identifying key urban pockets such as Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Park Circus, Shyampukur and others in central Kolkata. The move underlines the party’s strategy to convert urban discontent into electoral gains after failing to secure any Kolkata seats in the 2021 polls.
Speaking about the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah accused the administration of failing to safeguard the principles of “ma, mati, manus” — a phrase associated with the Trinamool Congress’s past rhetoric. He alleged that women in the state felt unsafe, that land mafias had entrenched themselves, and that residents were being forced to migrate. Shah also linked these issues to broader concerns about security and cultural identity in Bengal.
He listed a series of alleged scams under the state administration, citing irregularities in teacher recruitment, the SSC examinations, municipal corporation hirings, coal allocations, ration distribution, MGNREGA schemes and the Prime Minister housing programme. Shah argued that widespread corruption had eroded public trust and hampered governance.
The Home Minister referred to political violence in the state, saying more than 300 BJP workers had been killed between 2016 and 2025. He framed these losses as sacrifices that the party must honour at the ballot box, urging workers to carry the memory of those killed into the campaign.
Shah’s two-day visit to West Bengal on 30 and 31 December also included a press conference in Kolkata where he reiterated claims that the state government was unable to curb illegal migration and that public welfare schemes had stalled. With the state assembly’s term ending on 7 May 2026, Shah said the BJP must intensify preparations for elections widely expected in March–April 2026.
Party strategists say the Kolkata belt is central to the BJP’s electoral calculus. The wider region encompassing Kolkata and adjoining districts contains around 140 assembly seats where the BJP remains relatively weak, but the party is targeting urban constituencies where it sees potential for swings away from the incumbent government.
Political analysts note that while Shah’s rhetoric signals an aggressive campaign posture, translating urban outreach into tangible seats will require sustained organisation, candidate selection and local alliances. For now, the BJP has set clear numeric goals and a public timeline, making West Bengal one of the most closely watched battlegrounds ahead of India’s 2026 assembly cycle.
Key Takeaways:
- Amit Shah addressed BJP workers in Kolkata, urging them to set victory targets for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.
- Shah accused the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to protect women and allowing land grab and corruption.
- The BJP aims to win 22 of 28 seats in the Kolkata urban belt as it intensifies campaigning in the region.
- West Bengal’s assembly term ends May 7, 2026, with elections expected in March–April 2026.
