Abhishek Banerjee hits back at Amit Shah’s Bengal 2026 remark

Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday, 26 September, launched a sharp attack on Union Home minister Amit Shah over his comments predicting a “better government” in West Bengal after the assembly elections next year.

Earlier in the day, Shah, while inaugurating the Santosh Mitra Square community Durga Puja pandal in central Kolkata, had said: “I prayed to Maa Durga so that after the assembly elections next year, the people of West Bengal get such a government which will lead the state towards prosperity. Let peace return to Bengal. Let us create the Bengal envisioned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.”

Banerjee’s counterattack

Reacting strongly, Banerjee accused Shah and the BJP of being “anti-Bengal and anti-Bengali.” He said the Home minister should first explain the status of ₹2 lakh crore in central funds allegedly due to the state.

“HM Amit Shah should first answer when the Rs 2,00,000 crore of central funds would be released. In reality, they are anti-Bengal and anti-Bengali, and our struggle against these stances will continue,” he asserted.

Banerjee also ridiculed Shah’s remarks on the global recognition of Bengal’s Durga Puja, pointing out the Union minister’s earlier claim that the festival was not celebrated in the state.

“Today he is inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. But five years ago, he said Durga Puja was not celebrated in Bengal. Now, Bengal’s Durga Puja has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. No festival from BJP-ruled states has received such recognition,” Banerjee remarked.

BJP’s Bengal strategy

The war of words comes at a time when the BJP is intensifying preparations for the 2026 assembly elections. On Thursday, BJP national president J.P. Nadda appointed Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav as the party’s campaign in-charge for Bengal, with former Tripura chief minister and current Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb named as his deputy.

According to party insiders, both leaders are expected to meet Bengal BJP’s top brass soon to chalk out the initial campaign blueprint.

Earlier this month, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held a “coordination meeting” with the state BJP leadership in Kolkata, focusing primarily on electoral strategies and organisational strengthening ahead of the crucial polls.

With IANS inputs