Abhishek seeks a 12-0 clean sweep in Bankura in 2026 polls

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday called for a 12-0 sweep for his party in the 2026 Assembly elections in Bankura, asserting that the BJP cannot stop the ruling party in Bengal using central agencies like the ED or the Election Commission of India (ECI). Addressing a large gathering at the Rana Sankalp Sabha in Bankura, Banerjee said that even “if the entire country is saffronised, Bengal would continue to fight the BJP and show the way to the rest of India.”

Mocking the ECI, he remarked that historical figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda would also have received SIR hearing notices, emphasizing that the BJP cannot undermine Bengal’s electoral process through ED raids or the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Banerjee highlighted the contributions of Swami Vivekananda, Raja Rammohan Roy, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Iswarchandra Vidyasagar in nation building. During the rally, two BJP leaders from Saltore joined the TMC. Banerjee also credited the TMC government with ending Maoist violence in Jangalmahal and improving education and healthcare, while announcing plans to expedite coal mining clearances to create around 25,000 jobs. He alleged that the SIR process had caused hardships, including illness and suicides, warning that those responsible would be “dealt with politically,” and asserted that Bengal’s mothers would “lock the saffron party” in the upcoming elections.