New Delhi: Following the BJP’s decisive victory in Delhi, party leaders and workers are now anticipating a similar outcome in West Bengal, which is set to go to the polls next year. To achieve this, the BJP has already begun strengthening its presence at the grassroots level. After the remarkable win in Delhi, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, expressed confidence that West Bengal could witness a similar result if all Hindu Sanatanis turned out to vote for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly elections. He reaffirmed the party’s strong commitment to its electoral prospects in Bengal, stating that it remains a key focus. He also gave a slogan, “Delhi ki jeet hamari hai, chabbis mein Bengal ki baari hai.”
While speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Sukanta Majumdar, State BJP chief and Union Minister, emphasised, “People in Delhi have managed to see through the dubious claims of Kejriwal. Bengal will also tread the same path in the next elections.”
He added that there is a clear similarity between the political approaches of Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. Both follow the same pattern of revadi politics—offering freebies—and frequently making false statements that are far from reality. Their style of governance and political tactics mirror each other. Moreover, just as Arvind Kejriwal and his party have repeatedly questioned the BJP about its chief ministerial candidate, Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have done the same in Bengal. When comparing governance models, the TMC’s model in Bengal is strikingly similar to the AAP model in Delhi and certain elements of Uttar Pradesh’s opposition politics. This recent victory in Delhi has given a significant morale boost to BJP workers not just across the country but especially in Bengal, where the political landscape shares many similarities with Delhi.
“Looking ahead to 2026, if we can effectively implement our strategy—from central leadership down to the grassroots level—I firmly believe that the BJP’s Chief Minister will take the oath and lead Bengal into a new era of governance,” Majumdar said.
Meanwhile, BJP State Secretary Umesh Rai told The Sunday Guardian that the upcoming election in Bengal would be a decisive one, determining whether the state follows the path of Bangladesh or embraces the progress brought by the double-engine government. He described the electoral contest as a tough battle, not just against the TMC but also against extremist forces. Rai emphasised that the BJP is committed to strengthening its organisational structure ahead of the 2026 elections to provide the people of Bengal with a credible alternative to TMC rule. He further highlighted that the most pressing issue in West Bengal remains the lack of development. While the rest of India is progressing rapidly under the double-engine government, Bengal continues to lag due to its historically strained relations with the Centre. Despite initial hopes for progress under TMC, the party’s stance remained unchanged during UPA rule, and even under the BJP-led Centre, allegations of discrimination persist. Rai stated that people in Bengal are increasingly questioning why their state is falling behind compared to the rest of the country.
Addressing concerns about election-related violence, Rai pointed out that Bengal is the only state in India where elections are consistently marred by unrest. He recalled that Mamata Banerjee recently accused the BJP of bringing in voters from other states, yet in the past, she had strongly opposed the inclusion of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the voter list. Now, however, she insists that no names should be removed, even offering to intervene in fixing Aadhaar-related issues. Meanwhile, the BJP is actively working to remove fake voters, believing that Mamata Banerjee is apprehensive about the BJP’s growing support in Bengal.
Rai further emphasised that in the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 2.33 crore votes, an increase from the 2.27 crore votes it received in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections. To secure a majority in Bengal, the party needs to increase this count to 2.70 crore votes—an additional 35 lakh votes. Given the growing dissatisfaction with the TMC due to corruption and misgovernance, the BJP sees this as an achievable goal. Rai stated that with the increasing polarisation of Hindu votes and the rising anti-TMC sentiment, gaining these additional votes is well within the party’s reach.
On the other hand, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the BJP’s enthusiasm, stating that what happens in Delhi has no relevance to Bengal. He asserted that in the 2026 Assembly elections, the TMC would secure over 250 seats out of 294, and Mamata Banerjee would become the Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term.