Kolkata: BJP can daydream before polls, but will find the ground slipping under its feet after, said Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, on Wednesday, in response to Union home minister Amit Shah's repeated assertions that BJP will win in Bengal in the 2026 assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, "BJP's maths is wrong. It seems to be building a narrative among party workers that Trinamool's victory margins will be offset by SIR (Special Intensive Revision)-related deletions. This is wrong."
"Check the voting percentages in these assemblies. Every 70%-75% voter turnout means 25%-30% people did not vote. The deletions will fall on that block. Let them (BJP workers) daydream," he said, adding, "Trinamool will ensure no valid voter is left out due to SIR. Their conspiracies will be thwarted."
Referring to Shah's infiltration barb, Ghosh said, "Stopping infiltration is his (the Union home minister's) job and not that of the state police. I don't know why they keep scoring same-side goals on this."
Reacting to Shah's corruption barb, he said, "It is now public knowledge that all corrupt turn saints once they are with BJP. It indeed is the biggest washing machine. Across states, opposition netas whom BJP targeted for their alleged corruption, turned untainted when they defected to BJP."
Ghosh also spoke on BJP's attempts to target the state govt over Bengal's women safety record, saying, "I think BJP should look at the mirror first. Unnao, Hathras, the Bilkis (Bano) case and incidents in Odisha remain reminders of BJP's own record on women safety."
"Why do Bengal BJP netas go silent on this? Even a few days back, the SC (Supreme Court) intervened to deny bail to the Unnao case accused. Do they think people are oblivious to facts?" Ghosh said.
On several BJP MLAs and one MP from the Matua belt skipping Shah's meeting, Ghosh said, "They did the right thing." He went on to add: "What would they tell people who have been pushed to the edge? That they went to Kolkata, had lunch at a star hotel, and returned with nothing to ease people's distress?"
"Lakhs of Matuas are anxious because BJP, which promised to make them citizens, is now pulling at their roots and taking away their voting rights. The duplicity is for all to see," the Trinamool spokesperson said.
"BJP's unfounded pre-poll claim comes from the fact it uses govt agencies to serve its political interests. This includes the Election Commission. BJP tasked it with deleting voters, but Trinamool will keep fighting until we ensure every valid voter remains on the electoral roll," he added.