Amit Shah said that the CAA – the citizenship legislation – will be enforced.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kolkata: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday, claimed that his party will come to power in West Bengal with two-thirds majority in the 2026 state assembly elections. He asked people to vote Prime Minister Narendra Modi back to power next year as a foundational step towards the 2026 elections.
Shah was addressing a mega-congregation of thousands of supporters at a venue close to Esplanade junction, more often called Dharmatala, at the heart of the city. His statement tops up his ambitious target of the party winning 35-plus seats from Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections, next year.
In April this year, while addressing a gathering at Suri in Bengal, the veteran leader had told the people that if they deliver the seats to the BJP, then the Mamata Banerjee-led government may collapse before “25”, the year after the LS polls. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJP had won 18 of the 42 seats in the state.
He said that 'Didi', Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, came to power, replacing the Left with a call for change, and for forming the Maa-Maati-Manush (pro-people) government. He asked if the change happened, infiltration – from across the borders – stopped, appeasement (of the minority community) stopped, and whether the poll-related violence and corruption ceased as well.
The BJP leader alleged that while the prime minister sends funds to Bengal, they don’t reach Bengal’s poor. He blamed the Trinamool’s “syndicate” for the same.
Talking about the PM’s contributions towards improving the lives of the poor through various amenities, Shah’s speech also touched upon the issues of abrogation of Article 370, the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the construction of new Parliament building, strengthening of the Indian economy, and the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Shah said that while Banerjee is opposing the CAA, a citizenship legislation, he’s making it clear that CAA is the country’s law, and none can stop it, and “we” (the party in power, government) will enforce the legislation.
The ruling Trinamool countered Shah’s visit and the BJP rally in multiple ways. A protest in the state assembly precincts against the Centre’s freeze of funds to the state, posts on X, writing of letters by the party’s student and youth leaders to Shah about the state’s dues, and putting up of posters and banners by party’s social media and IT cell, with the line, “#MotaBhaiVoteNai”.
A Trinamool spokesperson termed Shah’s public meeting a “super-flop”. Shashi Panja, Trinamool leader and minister, said that while CAA was passed four years ago, there have been nine extensions since to allow for time to formulate the rules. Panja said that the BJP raises the issue during elections.