Will rid Bengal of infiltrators: Amit Shah's poll pitch on Mamata Banerjee's turf
Will rid Bengal of infiltrators: Amit Shah's poll pitch on Mamata Banerjee's turf
M.U.H
30/12/202523
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government, alleging that its tenure in West Bengal has been marked by corruption, fear and infiltration, posing a serious threat to the state’s security.
Calling the coming months crucial for Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections due in April, Shah said the state had suffered under 15 years of Trinamool rule. “Over the last 15 years, Bengal has witnessed fear, corruption and misgovernance. Infiltration has created a sense of insecurity and anxiety among the people,” he said while addressing a press conference in Kolkata.
The BJP leader said the mood of the electorate clearly reflected a desire for change. “With the Assembly elections scheduled for April, it is evident that the people of Bengal are resolved to form a strong government focused on development, heritage and the welfare of the poor, instead of fear, corruption, misgovernance and infiltration,” Shah said.
Alleging that fear and corruption had become the identity of Bengal over the past 14 years, Shah asserted that the BJP would restore the state’s lost glory if voted to power. “After April 15, 2026, when a BJP government is formed in Bengal, we will begin the revival of Bengal’s pride, culture and renaissance,” he said.
“We will work to build a Bengal envisioned by Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Syama Prasad Mukherjee,” Shah added.
At a lengthy press briefing, Shah flagged what he described as a rise in infiltration in West Bengal, which shares a border with Bangladesh.
He said, "Infiltration happening along Bengal borders is not an issue limited only to Bengal, it is now a matter of national security. We have to save the country's culture. If we have to ensure the safety of our country, we need a patriotic government here which will seal the borders. Mamata Banerjee can't do this, only BJP can."
“The people of Bengal are anxious over infiltration. We will not only identify infiltrators but also drive them out. Mamata Banerjee is abetting the infiltration of Bangladeshis for electoral benefit,” Shah said, adding, “We have not been able to complete the fencing of the Bangladesh border because the West Bengal government is not giving us land,” he claimed in Kolkata.
Escalating the attack on Trinamool, the Union Minister alleged, "Due to corruption under the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state, development in West Bengal has stopped. All beneficial schemes started by Modi ji have become victims of the toll syndicate here".
According to Shah’s analysis, the BJP’s steady electoral growth in West Bengal signals the saffron party’s strong prospects in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
“In the 2014 elections, we secured 17 per cent of the vote share and won two seats. In the 2016 Assembly elections, our vote share stood at 10 per cent and we won only three seats. Then, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, our vote share rose sharply to 41 per cent, translating into 18 seats,” Shah said.
He further noted that the party consolidated its gains in the 2021 Assembly elections, winning 38 per cent of the votes and securing 77 seats. “This is a huge transformation. A party that had just three seats increased its tally to 77 within a span of five years,” he said.
Shah also highlighted the decline of other major political forces in the state. He said the Congress, which had its roots in Bengal, was reduced to zero seats, while the Left alliance, which ruled the state for 34 years, failed to win even a single seat. “In contrast, we emerged as the principal opposition,” he added.
