Amit Shah targets TMC over corruption, says BJP will form government in West Bengal in 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, alleging that West Bengal has been gripped by “fear, corruption and misgovernance” over the past 15 years, and claimed that the BJP will form the next government in the state in 2026 with a two-thirds majority.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Shah said the period leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections would be “crucial” for the state. “In the last 15 years of the TMC government, Bengal has seen fear, corruption, misgovernance and worry among its citizens due to infiltration,” he said.

The Home Minister claimed that people in Bengal were anxious over infiltration and asserted that a BJP government would take strict action. “We will not only identify infiltrators, but we will also drive them out. We will construct a national grid to stop infiltration,” Shah said, adding that securing the eastern borders would be a priority.


Shah alleged that development in the state had stalled due to corruption under the Mamata Banerjee government. “All beneficial schemes started by Modi ji have become victims of the toll syndicate here. Fear and corruption have become West Bengal’s identity for the last 14 years,” he said.

Promising a turnaround if the BJP comes to power, Shah said the party would revive Bengal’s heritage and culture and prioritise welfare measures for the poor. “As soon as the BJP government is formed in the state, the river of development will flow in Bengal,” he said, referring to the state as “Banga Bhoomi” and noting the party’s ideological roots in the legacy of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Projecting confidence ahead of the 2026 polls, Shah cited the BJP’s electoral growth in the state over the past decade. “In 2014, the BJP had 17% vote share and two Lok Sabha seats. In 2016, we had just three Assembly seats. By 2019, we secured 41% votes and 18 Lok Sabha seats, and in the 2021 Assembly elections, we won 77 seats. In 2024, we got 39% votes and 12 Lok Sabha seats. In 2026, BJP will form the government in West Bengal,” he said.

Shah also claimed that the Congress had been reduced to zero seats in the state, while the Left alliance failed to win even a single seat, asserting that the BJP was the only viable alternative to the ruling TMC.