Kolkata: Throwing an open challenge to the BJP to cross 50 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday asserted that the mandate for his party in the 2026 polls will be bigger than 2021. He was speaking at Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad’s foundation day rally in Kolkata.
Setting the poll tone, Abhishek stated that after the Mamata Banerjee government comes back to power in the 2026 elections, the cheer for the victory will be louder from the Gandhi statue on August 28 next year. He also dared the BJP to stop it if they could.
Abhishek alleged that the saffron party was trying to “snatch away” the voting rights of the people in Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, but the people here would give a “befitting reply” to the BJP, he added. Launching a blistering attack on the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to “select voters” instead of letting people elect governments. He also warned that any attempt to delete legitimate voters will be met with protests in the national capital.
“The BJP is trying to tamper with the voters’ list as they know that they will never win democratically. But I assure you that the mandate in the 2026 polls will be bigger than 2021. Everyone is against our party — a section of the judiciary, BJP, and Central agencies but 10 crore Bengalis are with us. If the BJP has the strength, let them even try to cross 50 seats,” Abhishek said.
He also added that earlier, voters used to elect a government, but now the BJP is selecting voters through the “undemocratic” SIR process. He once again told the people of Bengal that his party’s fight will continue. “Our fight against this will continue.
If the BJP dares to delete a single legitimate voter, we will hit the streets of Delhi in protest,” he said. Banerjee also slammed the Centre for not clearing the Trinamool Congress’ proposed Aparajita Bill for women’s safety. “We had brought the Aparajita Bill to ensure women’s security, but the Centre is deliberately sitting on it.
This shows their double standards when it comes to women’s safety,” alleged Abhishek.
In reference to the incident of rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College last year, Banerjee again slammed the Central investigating agency CBI saying: “What Mamata Banerjee’s police did within the 24 hours of the incident, Modi’s CBI were able to do in past one year.”
Referring to the Constitution amendment Bill, he said: “BJP tried to pass it in the dead of night. It was because of the protest of 28 TMC MPs, the Union Home Minister failed to pass the Bill being in the front row. This is the power of the people of Bengal.”
“We also fight against those (BJP) who are calling 10 crore Bengalis Bangladeshis. Our government in Bengal has given dues to 69 lakh job cardholders even after the Centre had deprived it.
BJP has insulted Bengal on repeated occasions. It has withheld Rs 10,000 crore under village roads project and funds for Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission as well,” he said.