West Bengal: Abhishek sharpens 2026 poll pitch after ECI showdown

A day after a tense meeting with the Election Commission of India in Delhi — followed by an unusually combative press briefing accusing the Centre of undermining democracy in Bengal — Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and national general-secretary Abhishek Banerjee returned to the state on Friday to formally kick off his 2026 Assembly election campaign, complete with political theatre and hard numbers.

At a large rally in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, Abhishek set the tone by revisiting Trinamool’s 2021 mandate. “We won 214 seats last time. This time, we will add one more,” he said. He immediately localised the challenge: “Let that extra seat come from this district. We must win Bhangar. The BJP must not be allowed to get a lead in even a single booth.”

The centrepiece of the Baruipur rally was a specially constructed ramp on the stage — a detail Abhishek ensured did not go unnoticed. Mocking recent controversies where individuals were allegedly declared “untraceable” or “dead” by the Election Commission of India (ECI), he told the crowd: “Everyone is curious about this ramp. Three ‘ghosts’ will walk on it today. Since the Commission couldn’t find them, they were declared dead. But dead people don’t walk on ramps — that’s why I made it.”

The remark drew laughter, but the target was clear: central investigative agencies and what Trinamool alleges is their politically motivated use against Opposition leaders.

The rally came just a day after Abhishek led a Trinamool delegation to the Election Commission, where the party raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal. After the meeting, Abhishek struck a defiant tone, warning that the exercise could disenfranchise voters if carried out without transparency.

“This is not a clerical exercise. This is about people’s right to vote,” he told reporters, accusing the Centre of attempting to influence the electoral process through administrative means. He alleged that names of genuine voters were being flagged or deleted while dubious entries were being added elsewhere.

“If anyone thinks they can manipulate Bengal’s voter list sitting in Delhi, they are mistaken,” Abhishek said. “We will fight this legally, politically and on the streets if required.”

In one of his sharpest lines, he warned that democracy itself was at stake. “When you try to snatch food through policy and votes through paperwork, people will respond,” he said, adding that the Trinamool Congress would ensure “no invisible hand tampers with Bengal’s mandate.”

That message carried directly into his Baruipur speech, where he accused the Centre of being “anti-Bengal” and attempting to “strike at people’s livelihoods and voting rights”. Referring again to the SIR, he said, “The BJP government tried to hit us where it hurts most. The answer will come from the people.”

Abhishek also reiterated Trinamool’s national ambitions, saying the party would “march to Delhi” in the coming years. Pointing to large crowds on Bengal’s roads, he claimed that such mobilisation would be enough to “sweep away Gyanesh Kumar and Amit Shah”, a line clearly aimed at projecting confidence against central authority.

He reminded supporters that South 24 Parganas had historically stood by Mamata Banerjee, even during the Left Front era. “We must fight with the target of 31 out of 31 seats,” he said, urging leaders and workers alike to focus on booth-level mobilisation.

From Malda’s Chanchal, the BJP attempted to counter the momentum with an even bigger claim. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the party would not stop at the 200-seat target earlier set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Understanding the mood of the people of Bengal, I can say we will cross 220 seats,” Suvendu declared.

The claim, while enthusiastically received by party workers, sits uneasily with present arithmetic. The BJP currently holds 77 seats in the 294-member Assembly — a significant improvement over its earlier showing, but still a long distance from power. Political observers see the “220” projection less as a forecast and more as a motivational slogan aimed at energising cadres in north Bengal.

Suvendu nonetheless doubled down, branding the Trinamool government “corrupt” and claiming that the “farewell bell” had begun tolling for Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. He also issued a pointed warning to sections of the police, saying, “All names have been noted. Everyone’s accounts will be settled.”