2026 Bengal polls: BJP to focus on people's issues, not Mamata Banerjee

The BJP has set the ball rolling for assembly polls in West Bengal, scheduled to be held next year, and is working on a multifaceted strategy focusing on people-centric issues, especially women safety, rather than attacking individuals in its campaign to oust the Trinamool Congress government from the state.

Taking cue from the 2019 assembly polls, the BJP is working on issues concerning people, rather than only attacking Banerjee, sources said. As part of this strategy, the priority is to ensure the BJP's strength in all polling booths, especially in around 80 Muslim-dominated seats, sources said.

The party would focus more on exposing the lack of governance during the Trinamool rule, security of women, and exposing corruption of ministers in Banerjee's government, they said. Another idea which the BJP is contemplating is to field more candidates from its own ranks rather than relying on turncoat, sources said, adding that lessons were drawn from the last assembly polls.


Taking on the Trinamool over illegal migration, the BJP plans to weave the recent turmoil in Bangladesh - including attacks on Hindu temples and Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home - into its campaign narrative. Party leaders said the campaign will centre on Bengali culture and identity in light of these developments.

BJP is banking on Shantanu Thakur and Nisith Pramanik - prominent faces from the Matua and Rajbongshi communities, two key SC groups in north Bengal - to boost its prospects. It is also focusing on the Mahishya community, which has a strong presence in south Bengal.