Shah Says BJP on Track to Form Government in West Bengal
A day after the first phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is heading towards a decisive victory in the state, predicting that the party would win over 110 of the 152 seats assessed so far.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Shah said the BJP’s internal review of the first phase indicated strong momentum in its favour. “The BJP’s Bengal team has conducted its assessment. Based on this, I can say that out of 152 seats, the BJP is likely to win more than 110. Taking the second phase into account as well, the BJP is set to form the government in Bengal,” he asserted.
Record Turnout Boosts BJP’s Confidence
The BJP’s optimism comes after West Bengal recorded an unprecedented 92.9 per cent voter turnout in the first phase — the highest since Independence. Shah described the turnout as a positive sign for political change and urged voters to participate fearlessly in the upcoming phase.
He also praised the Election Commission of India for ensuring peaceful polling. “The Election Commission has made excellent arrangements to ensure there is no rigging in the voting process. Forget the old elections, vote for Bengal’s bright future and form a BJP government,” Shah said.
Amit Shah Hits Back at Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Outsider’ Charge
Taking aim at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah rejected the Trinamool Congress’ repeated allegation that the BJP would impose “outsider rule” in Bengal.
“Bengal’s CM is spreading rumours that if BJP comes to power in Bengal, the outsiders will rule,” Shah said, before promising that the BJP’s chief ministerial face would be a native Bengali.
“I want to tell didi, the next Chief Minister of Bengal will be someone who was born in Bengal, educated in the Bengali medium and will be able to speak Bengali. The only thing is that your nephew will not be there, the Chief Minister will be a BJP worker,” he added.
Battle for Bengal Intensifies Ahead of Phase 2
With the second phase of polling scheduled for April 29, political tensions are rising sharply in West Bengal as the BJP and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress battle for dominance in one of the most high-stakes elections of 2026.
The counting of votes for West Bengal, along with Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, is scheduled for May 4. Shah’s confident prediction has raised the political temperature further, setting the stage for an intense contest in the remaining phases.
