With the 2026 Assembly elections approaching, minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya has sharpened the Trinamul Congress’s (TMC) campaign strategy by mobilising the party’s women’s cell to take on the BJP at the grassroots.
After holding a meeting in Cooch Behar on Friday, Bhattacharya addressed a large gathering of women leaders and workers in Siliguri on Saturday. Stressing the importance of organisational preparedness, she urged women functionaries to go on the offensive against the BJP as well as other opposition parties.
“Women leaders and workers are the backbone of our party. They can reach every household, engage directly with the people, and counter the BJP’s propaganda most effectively,” Bhattacharya asserted.
The minister launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of neglecting Bengal’s development needs. She specifically raised the issue of the Kolkata Metro Railway project, alleging that the Centre deliberately withheld support from chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Everyone knows that it was Mamata Banerjee, as railways minister, who conceived and pushed forward several Metro projects for Kolkata. The Prime Minister cannot take credit while simultaneously denying her rightful due,” Bhattacharya remarked.
She also criticised the recent Bill passed in Parliament, calling it “politically motivated” and aimed at targeting opposition leaders under the pretext of criminal charges.
Party insiders say Bhattacharya’s back-to-back meetings in north Bengal underline the TMC’s focus on strengthening its women’s outreach, particularly in regions where the BJP made electoral inroads in recent years.