As BJP is set to make history in Bengal, the state is on course to see its first BJP government since Independence as the Trinamool is staring at defeat after 15 years in power, in the first election after a record deletion of voters under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is in a direct showdown with the BJP, with a closely fought battle but BJP-leaning is t outcome as counting progresses across the state.
Reacting to the BJP’s broader political narrative during the run-up to polling, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said, “Amit Shah is rehearsing the same cassette several times about ‘ghuspethias’ (infiltrators),” while criticising the repeated emphasis on infiltration and border security in the party’s campaign messaging.
The BJP’s manifesto, which has framed much of its electoral positioning, lays out a mix of governance reforms, welfare commitments and regional development promises aimed at reshaping the state’s administrative and economic structure. Key pledges include:
• Implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) within six months of forming government
• Adoption of the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees
• Monthly cash transfer of ₹3,000 for women as a welfare and empowerment measure
• 33% reservation for women in government jobs, including police recruitment
• Recognition of 11 Gorkha sub-tribes as Scheduled Tribes, with targeted development for Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars regions
• Land rights (Parja Patta) for tea garden workers along with wage revision and labour welfare measures
• Employment generation through industrial revival, MSME expansion and investment inflows
• Youth skilling programmes aimed at improving employability
• Infrastructure upgrades covering roads, connectivity and logistics development
• Rural and agricultural income support measures to boost productivity and allied sectors
• Promotion of sustainable tourism as a regional growth driver
The BJP has also placed strong emphasis on border security and illegal infiltration, projecting it as a core governance and national security concern in the state.
The TMC, meanwhile, has rejected the BJP’s promises as political rhetoric, with its leadership defending its governance record and questioning the opposition’s repeated focus on security-linked narratives.
As counting progresses, the contest is being viewed as one of the most significant political shifts in West Bengal in recent years, with early indications pointing to a tightly contested but BJP-favouring outcome that could mark a major realignment in the state’s political landscape.
