TMC Rejects Modi's 'Jungle Raj' Claims: Predicts Mamata's Landslide Victory in 2026 Bengal Elections

Kolkata:

The TMC on Friday launched a fierce counterattack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the BJP's decisive Bihar victory has "paved the way to end jungle raj" in West Bengal. The ruling party dismissed this claim as a "pure illusion" and confidently stated that Mamata Banerjee would return to power with a commanding 250-seat mandate in the 2026 elections.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh criticized Modi's remark that "just as the Ganga flows from Bihar to Bengal, the BJP's victory will flow there too," describing it as revealing a "poor understanding of Bengal's political chemistry."

Ghosh emphasized, "People of Bengal have consistently rejected BJP's politics of hate. The BJP's dream of conquering the state is an illusion, like a tortoise wanting to lie on its back. And waiting for them is the Bengal Tigress - Mamata Banerjee." He added firmly, "The Bihar chemistry will not work here. In Bengal, Banerjee is the commander."

Responding to Modi's allegation of "jungle raj" in Bengal, Ghosh countered, "There is no 'jungle raj' in Bengal. Jungle raj existed during the Left era. Government data shows Bengal is one of the safest states. From Kashmir to Delhi, the crime graphs show where 'jungle raj' really is." He referenced the Unnao, Hathras and Prayagraj cases in BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh to argue that "'jungle raj' is when rape survivors' families are attacked, when convicts walk out of jail with garlands."

"Let the prime minister look there before sermonizing Bengal," he added pointedly.

Ghosh remarked that Modi was "yet to learn lessons from the defeats of 2021 and 2024," asserting that the 2026 verdict would follow the same pattern.

"You lost the Assembly polls, you lost in the panchayats, and you lost Lok Sabha seats even after campaigning extensively here. TMC gained seats. In 2026, Mamata Banerjee will become chief minister for a fourth straight term with over 250 seats," he predicted confidently.

Mocking Modi's comparison between Bihar and Bengal, he stated, "The Bihar equation does not apply here. In Bihar you fought Congress-type parties. But in Bengal, the TMC has prepared counters for every allegation. Let Modiji keep this fantasy talk inside the pocket of his ten-lakh-rupee jacket."

Ghosh accused the BJP of insulting Bengal's cultural identity, claiming the party had "blocked 100 days' wages, stalled housing funds, maligned the Bengali language, and even suggested that Bengali-speaking girls should be sent to Bangladesh."

"The BJP, by insulting Bengalis and Bengal, is inviting a democratic response. And in 2026 the BJP will win even fewer seats, they may even lose Opposition status," he warned.

"Bengal will answer through democracy," Ghosh concluded.

Modi, addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters following the NDA's sweeping victory in Bihar, had declared that the mandate had "cleared the path" for a BJP triumph in the neighboring state and vowed to "throw out 'jungle raj' from West Bengal as well."