From Bihar Triumph to Bengal Challenge
Fresh from its decisive victory in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party has turned its attention to neighboring West Bengal, where it faces a formidable challenge in unseating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in the upcoming 2026 state elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi signaled Bengal's importance in his victory speech on November 14, 2025, declaring that "The victory in Bihar has paved the way for the BJP's triumph in Bengal." He promised to end what he termed "Jungle Raj" in the eastern state.
Countering the 'Outsider' Narrative
According to party insiders, the BJP's biggest challenge is shedding the "outsider" tag that proved damaging during the 2021 assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress successfully framed that contest as a battle between "outsiders" and Bengal's own daughter, using the slogan "Bangla nijer meye ke chaye" (Bengal wants its daughter).
"Last time, we made many mistakes. Not making an aggressive attempt to counter the TMC's campaign against the BJP of being a party of outsiders was a grave one," admitted a party leader involved in the Bengal campaign.
The BJP plans to emphasize its historical roots in West Bengal, highlighting that Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was from the state. The party will strategically use Bengali cultural symbols and slogans like "Joy Maa Kali" and "Joy Maa Durga" to connect with local sentiments.
Organizational Overhaul and Campaign Strategy
The BJP has already identified ten key campaign themes for Bengal:
- Poor law-and-order situation
- Corruption allegations
- Illegal immigration concerns
- National security issues
- Subversion of democracy charges
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, the party's West Bengal election in-charge, holds weekly meetings with core leaders in Kolkata to monitor preparations. The party has activated workers across 80,000 booths statewide and is focusing on grassroots outreach.
Unlike the TMC, which has Mamata Banerjee as its clear mass leader, the BJP is unlikely to project a chief ministerial face. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista confirmed the party would contest under "collective leadership from the state and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as our face."
The party is also being more selective about accepting leaders from other parties, learning from what sources describe as past mistakes. Candidate selection will prioritize individuals with strong local roots and commitment to party ideology, with emphasis on young, clean, and educated faces.
Union Minister and former state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar pointed out what he called contradictions in the TMC's stance on Bengali identity, noting that Banerjee had made "a Maharashtrian a Rajya Sabha MP from the state (Saket Gokhale)" and nominated non-Bengalis to Parliament.
As the Election Commission's Special Summary Revision continues, the BJP has established help desks across Bengal to assist citizens. The party's immediate focus remains strengthening booth-level organizations while preparing to expose what it calls the state government's failures in governance and security.
