Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Feb 27: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that the political setbacks faced by non-BJP parties in Maharashtra and Delhi would have no impact on Bengal, vowing to decisively defeat the BJP in the state. She predicted the party’s downfall by 2027-2029 and set an ambitious target of winning 215 out of 294 seats in the 2026 assembly elections.

"They failed to counter the BJP in Maharashtra and Delhi, but in Bengal, we will take them head-on. The BJP has only 2-3 years left; by 2027-2029, they will be finished," Banerjee declared at a party meeting.

Following the AAP’s defeat in the Delhi elections, political attention has shifted to Bengal, where the BJP is intensifying efforts to challenge Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power since 2011.

Allegations Against BJP and Electoral Strategies

Banerjee accused the BJP of tampering with voter lists through an external agency, claiming names of Bengal voters were being replaced with those from states like Haryana and Gujarat. "This is being directly orchestrated from Delhi. They did the same in Maharashtra and Haryana to win. But Bengal is not Delhi or Maharashtra—we will fight and win again," she asserted.

In a direct attack on the BJP's electoral strategies, she recalled the party's failed predictions: "In 2021, they boasted about crossing 200 seats but lost. In 2024, they aimed for 400 seats in Lok Sabha but failed to secure a majority. We will achieve a two-thirds majority in 2026, and BJP candidates should lose their deposits."

BJP’s Response: "TMC’s Fear is Showing"

Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya claimed she was making such statements to uplift party workers' morale, sensing an electoral loss. "TMC is infamous for vote-rigging. If she is confident in her governance, why does she resort to violence? Hindus in Bengal are uniting, and that is why she is afraid," he said.

In the 2021 elections, the TMC secured 213 seats, while the BJP won 77. As the battle for Bengal intensifies, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari issued a rallying call, stating, "Delhi ki jeet hamari hai... 2026 mein Bengal ki baari hai" (Delhi’s victory is ours… in 2026, it will be Bengal’s turn).