Kolkata: Though the BJP’s 2026 Bengal strategy zeroes in on grassroots mobilisation, state unit unity, and taking on the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ultimate verdict may well be shaped by Mamata Banerjee’s social welfare blitz, including the transformative ‘Lakshmir Bhandar,’ which has touched the lives of around 2.2 crore women.
Besides ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’, the schemes like Aikyashree, Sabooj Sathi, Kanyashree, and Swasthya Sathi also hugely benefited the people of Bengal and will remain in people’s minds when they vote.
On the otherhand, BJP’s bid to leverage government machinery and central agencies for poll gains may falter against Mamata, whose strong grassroots support stems from schemes that benefit every section of society.
“Centre may misuse agencies like ED and Election Commission against the TMC government, but Mamata’s biggest USP is her women force,” said a senior TMC leader.
According to him, the ED raid is just a distant news headline on a television screen to rural women, but the Rs 1,200 in their bank accounts on a monthly basis is a life-changing reality. “The women in Bengal will once again stand against the collective might of the Centre and exploitation of Central agencies ahead of polls,” the leader added.
Analysts say government machinery and central agencies cannot replace public connect, which Banerjee enjoys. The TMC accuses the BJP-led Centre of misusing ED and CBI, with 95–98% of investigated politicians over the past decade belonging to the Opposition.
In the recent Bihar elections, BJP promised a scheme similar to ‘Lakshmir Bhandar,’ which TMC said was copied from Bengal. The TMC also claimed Delhi’s ‘Atal Canteen’ mirrored Bengal’s ‘Maa Canteen’ programme.
Party MP Sagarika Ghose on Tuesday said that the intelligence of the Bengal voter must never be insulted or underestimated; yet this is precisely what PM Modi likes to do. The bizarre mauling of Bengal’s icons like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya as ‘Bankim da’ or the inability to somehow pronounce the word “Kolkata” without making it sound like “Kalcotta” or “Kolcotto” reveal a barely concealed condescension, a sneering ridicule, an aggressive rudeness toward Bengal’s identity, she added.
In a strategic move to counter the BJP’s ‘Hindutva’ and consolidate Hindu voters, Mamata Banerjee’s government launched projects like ‘Durga Angan’ in New Town and the Mahakal temple in Siliguri, while Digha’s Jagannath temple has emerged as a key religious tourism destination in Bengal.
Whatever strategies the BJP employs for the 2026 Assembly polls, Banerjee’s ability to turn adverse incidents into mass outcry remains far beyond the saffron party’s reach, at least as of now.