Shah attends Suvendu’s nomination, to oversee party prep in Bengal

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday projected the Bhowanipore Assembly constituency as the decisive battleground for political change in West Bengal, asserting that “the key to transforming the entire state lies in the hands of Bhowanipore’s voters.”

Addressing a rally at Hazra ahead of a roadshow, Shah launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government, alleging widespread corruption, “syndicate raj,” and rising infiltration that, he claimed, has put the state’s identity at risk. He appealed to voters to ensure a decisive victory for BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari from Bhowanipore. Earlier in the day, Adhikari filed his nomination papers from the constituency, accompanied by Shah, who flew in from New Delhi to bolster the BJP’s campaign.

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The party also fielded candidates across neighbouring constituencies, including Swapan Dasgupta from Rashbehari, Satarupa Bose from Ballygunge, and Santosh Pathak from Chowringhee. The leaders later participated in a joint roadshow, drawing sizeable crowds. The roadshow, however, witnessed tense moments as supporters of the BJP and the ruling Trinamul Congress exchanged slogans, with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Bangla” reverberating through parts of the constituency. Shah, in his address, reiterated that states governed by the BJP since 2014 have witnessed significant development, and said “it is now Bengal’s turn.” He urged voters to bring about “paribartan” (change), not only in Bhowanipore but across the state, to realise what he described as the vision of luminaries like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Syama Prasad Mukherjee.

Taking a direct swipe at the ruling party, Shah alleged that people across Bengal are weary of “extortion, political violence, insecurity for women, and unemployment.” He claimed that BJP workers have been targeted and killed, and promised strict legal action against perpetrators if the party comes to power. Referring to concerns raised by journalists earlier in the day about alleged voter intimidation, Shah asserted that no one would be allowed to prevent citizens from exercising their democratic rights. “This time, people must vote fearlessly,” he said, adding that the BJP’s goal was not merely to defeat the Trinamul Congress but to “uproot it completely.”

In a strategic pitch, Shah said Adhikari had initially considered contesting from Nandigram but was encouraged by the party leadership to challenge Banerjee on her home turf. He also claimed that despite the Trinamul Congress forming the government in the last Assembly elections, Banerjee had suffered a personal defeat to Adhikari in Nandigram ~ a point the BJP has repeatedly highlighted in its campaign narrative.

Shah further argued that a BJP victory in Bhowanipore alone could trigger a broader political shift in the state. “Win this one seat, and change will follow across Bengal,” he said, even as he set an overall target of securing 170 Assembly seats for the party. Calling for the formation of a BJP government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah emphasised the need to seal the state’s borders and identify and deport illegal infiltrators. He concluded by urging voters to bid farewell to the incumbent Chief Minister and support the BJP’s vision for a “Sonar Bangla” Shah also announced that he would stay in West Bengal for the next fortnight to oversee the party’s campaign, signalling an intensified push by the BJP in the run-up to the polls.