Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public meeting in Satgachia, South 24 Parganas, on Wednesday, blowing the poll bugle for the upcoming state election next year. Banerjee claimed that the BJP would fail to secure more than 50 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, a significant drop from the 77 seats they won in 2021. Calling the saffron party anti-Bengal, he stressed that in over four years the Central government hasn’t cleared the dues of the state as they wanted to make people of the state suffer for not electing BJP in 2021 polls.
Addressing a large gathering in his constituency, Banerjee declared, “Mark my words, in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections in Bengal, BJP will be reduced to under 50 seats, even lower than the 77 they have.” He backed his prediction by referencing TMC’s success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, stating, “I had said that Trinamool would get more seats in 2024 than we did in 2019, and that’s exactly what happened.” The TMC won 29 seats in 2024, up from 22 in 2019, while the BJP’s tally fell from 18 to 12.
Banerjee took aim at the BJP’s claims of being protectors of Hindu interests, accusing them of disrespecting the Jagannath Temple in Digha, a Rs. 250 crore project inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30, 2025. He alleged that BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, mocked the temple, with Majumdar reportedly calling it an “amusement park” and Adhikari labelling it a “cultural centre” rather than a sacred site. “Those who claim to protect Hindus are mocking the Jagannath Temple. I am thankful to Mamata Banerjee and the state government for the Jagannath Temple, else people would not see BJP’s true face,” Banerjee said, emphasising that the temple’s construction exposed the BJP’s “malafide intentions” toward Hindu sentiments.
The TMC leader also criticised the BJP’s electoral promises and governance. He dismissed their pledge to provide Rs. 3,000 to women in Bengal if elected, challenging them to implement even Rs. 1,500 in any BJP-ruled state. “Didi’s government is already giving Laxmi Bhandar support to 2.2 crore women in Bengal,” he said, highlighting TMC’s welfare schemes. Banerjee further accused the BJP of neglecting national security, pointing to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed. “I had asked how four terrorists crossed into India and killed 26 people. Till date, the man who called himself chowkidar has not responded,” he said, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Banerjee’s remarks come as both TMC and BJP intensify their campaigns ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, expected in March - April. While TMC aims for a two-thirds majority with over 215 seats, the BJP remains confident, with leaders like Adhikari and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserting that a 5 -10% swing in Hindu votes could dislodge the TMC. However, Banerjee’s bold prediction and sharp critique signal a fierce electoral battle ahead, with religious and regional sentiments at the forefront.
