BJP Signals West Bengal as Next Target Following NDA's Bihar Election Victory

West Bengal is scheduled for Assembly elections in 2026.

New Delhi:

Following its impressive performance in the Bihar assembly election, the BJP on Friday indicated that West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee's leadership would be its next political focus. As vote counting revealed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) moving toward a clear victory, senior party figure and IT cell head Amit Malviya stated that the Bihar mandate demonstrated NDA's "credibility" and would directly impact West Bengal's political landscape ahead of its 2026 Assembly elections.

During his NDTV interview, Malviya attributed the results to "the kind of work that the NDA government has been doing," particularly highlighting programs focused on youth employment and women's economic empowerment. He praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP in Bihar for "creating opportunities for the youth" and "enabling women to start their own businesses."

Malviya contrasted these achievements with what he described as the "disastrous 15 years of Lalu Prasad Yadav," a period he claimed had impeded Bihar's development.

When questioned about the BJP's ability to challenge West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her territory, Malviya dismissed suggestions that his party remained a minor political force in the state.

"You undermine the BJP," he remarked, highlighting how the party had expanded from three seats to 77 in the 2021 assembly election.

"We do acknowledge that the BJP has never been in power in Bengal after independence. But the kind of performance that we put in 2021 was spectacular. We rose from three seats to 77. And we have a 40 per cent vote share. Don't forget that across the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP has held on to its vote share in Bengal," Malviya told NDTV.

Videos emerged from Bengal showing celebratory gatherings outside BJP offices across the state.

The BJP leader alleged widespread dissatisfaction with the Trinamool Congress government would influence the upcoming political contest in Bengal. He cited incidents from the past five years including Sandeshkhali, the RG Kar incident, communal tensions in districts like Malda and Murshidabad, and what he characterized as "death and destruction across the state."

"People of Bengal are waiting to vote her out. The only thing that must be ensured is that people get to vote freely, which is a big challenge in Bengal because just like the 'Jungle Raj' of Lalu Prasad, Bengal also continues to be in the throes of violence," Malviya claimed.