Shah returns to Bengal, BJP steps up offensive with ‘charge sheet’
The Statesman | 28 March 2026
Union home minister Amit Shah, the BJP’s chief strategist for the West Bengal Assembly elections, will return to the state on Saturday to release a “charge sheet” against the government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Said to be titled ‘Abhiyognama’, the document is expected to outline alleged corruption, misgovernance, and law-and-order failures across 14 key sectors over the past 15 years and will also serve as a key campaign tool to target the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC), according to sources.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s election manifesto is likely to focus on welfare expansion, relief for government employees, job creation, industrial revival, women’s safety, and strengthening law and order.
Playing a central role in shaping the BJP’s narrative, organisational structure, and grassroots mobilisation, Shah has been a frequent visitor to Kolkata in the run-up to the elections. During recent rallies, he has vowed to remove “infiltrators” from Bengal and criticised the state government for allegedly failing to secure borders and complete fencing. He has also assured Hindu refugees that they will not lose their citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). At another rally, Shah promised that, if voted to power, the BJP would implement the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees within 45 days.
According to the BJP’s campaign plan, Shah is scheduled to attend multiple events in this election cycle which began with a three-day organisational visit to Kolkata from 29 to 31 December, 2025, marking the unofficial start of the party’s campaign. During this trip, he met senior state leaders and RSS functionaries to review booth-level preparedness.
In January, he focused on strategy meetings and addressed a major rally that was projected as the formal launch of the 2026 campaign. In February, he undertook a cultural and religious outreach visit to the ISKCON headquarters in Mayapur ato mark the 152th birth anniversary of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur.
According to party sources, the “charge sheet”, spanning nearly 35-40 pages, has been prepared by a team of experts and highlights a range of issues, including alleged corruption, administrative inefficiency, deterioration in law and order, and unemployment. The BJP has identified 14 focus areas in the charge sheet.
The party is also expected to raise issues such as pending dearness allowance (DA) for government employees and lack of employment opportunities.