Fresh from its decisive victory in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has turned its full political attention to West Bengal with an eye on the crucial 2026 Assembly Election. At a high-level strategy meeting over dinner hosted at BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda’s residence in Delhi last night, Union home minister Amit Shah delivered a pointed and strategic message aimed at energising the party’s Bengal unit. According to insiders present at the meeting Shah’s speech was both celebratory and cautionary. Echoing the party’s renewed focus on “Mission Bengal,” he said, adding: “We must go where our organisational strength is weak. Reaching people directly is the key.” His message was clear: complacency has no place in the party’s roadmap for Bengal.
Shah stressed that BJP leaders must expand their presence at the grassroots, especially in regions where the party has historically struggled. “A leader’s role is not limited to contesting elections. Our workers must increase their activity wherever our organisation is thin. People must feel our presence everywhere,” he told the gathering. He also warned against arrogance, reminding leaders that victories are collective, not individual achievements. “If anyone believes they win only because of their own abilities, that is self-satisfaction. We must avoid pride and remain grounded,” he said.
The mood in the meeting was buoyant, driven by BJP’s triumph in Bihar, but also charged with an ambitious vision for West Bengal. Senior leaders reportedly expressed confidence about dislodging the Trinamul Congress government, which has ruled the state for more than a decade. Amit Shah noted the party’s rapid rise—from just three seats earlier to 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls—as evidence of its deepening roots. “The BJP has found solid ground in Bengal. The foundation is ready; now we must build on it,” he said.