The Mahagathbandhan’s crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly Elections has prompted a sharp political exchange in neighbouring West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for suggesting that the NDA’s sweeping victory in Bihar will pave the way for a BJP win in Bengal.
During celebrations at the BJP headquarters following the alliance’s historic win in Bihar, the Prime Minister told party workers that the electoral outcome had wider implications, including for Bengal, where Assembly polls are due next year. Invoking a geographical metaphor, he said, “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar. The victory in Bihar, like the river, has paved the way for our victory in Bengal.” The remark came as the BJP sought to build on the momentum it created in the 2021 Bengal elections, where it made significant gains.
Trinamool Congress MP and Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose accused the Prime Minister of treating Bengal as a political conquest rather than a state with its own cultural and democratic identity. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about conquering Bengal, conquest of Bengal, as if Bengal is another piece of land to add to his CV,” she said in a video message posted on X on Saturday morning.
Ghose went on to outline five points countering the Prime Minister’s remarks, asserting that West Bengal would never accept what she described as the BJP’s divisive tactics. Referencing the ancient political stratagem of saam, daam, dand, bhed, she said, “You will do anything to grab power. You will pay money, use muscle, intimidation, and divide and rule. The people of Bengal will not accept this saam, daam, dand, bhed version of politics where you use all possible means, foul means, just to grab power.”
Drawing a contrast between the BJP leadership and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ghose added that Banerjee was not a “hawai neta” who flew in a “hawai jahaz”. She said, “She is there 24 hours among the people. She is the person who people turn to in their hour of need. She is the person who is there during natural disasters. She is on the ground 24/7. No leader in India has done as much and has worked as tirelessly for the upliftment of women as Mamata Banerjee, both in terms of welfare and political representation.”
Highlighting the state’s Kanyashree scheme, Ghose described it as a long-term commitment to women’s empowerment, while dismissing the NDA’s welfare promises in Bihar as nothing more than a “pre-election bribe to women”.
The MP also accused the Centre of withholding funds meant for Bengal because the state refuses to “dance to your tune”, calling it a violation of the federal structure. She further criticised the BJP for branding migrant workers from Bengal as “infiltrators”. Ghose said such “honest citizens” were only trying to earn a living but were being vilified “because they speak Bangla”.
She also accused the BJP of repeatedly insulting Bengali culture, language, and icons. “The people of Bengal will not forget or forgive the manner in which your party taunts, mocks, insults and humiliates our language, our icons, our culture, and tries to defame Bengal and Kolkata,” she said. “You repeatedly insult the Bengal identity. No Bengal voter will tolerate this. We are the children of Vivekananda, of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, of Rabindranath Tagore. We will fight you and we will win. Jai Bangla.”
The BJP, buoyed by its best-ever performance in the 2021 state elections when it won 77 of 294 seats, is attempting to translate its Bihar momentum into a renewed push to unseat the Mamata Banerjee government. The Trinamool Congress, which secured 215 seats in 2021, maintains that Bengal’s electorate will decisively reject the BJP’s overtures.
