‘There will be a big khela’: Mamata Banerjee’s sharp warning to BJP before 2026 West Bengal polls
The Statesman | 2 April 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of attempting land grabs, manipulating voter rolls and fuelling divisions ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. She also said her party would ensure the BJP does not regain strength in the state.
The remarks come at a time of rising political tension in West Bengal, especially after clashes near the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Kolkata over allegations of large-scale submission of Form 6 applications for voter enrolment.
Speaking to reporters, Banerjee referred to the controversy involving Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, saying, “An attempt was made to grab the land of Amartya Sen. An attempt was made to evict him. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
She also alleged that names were being removed from the electoral rolls selectively. “BJP is doing what the CPI(M) used to do. Names have been deleted by looking at the names. I approached the Supreme Court,” she said.
Targeting the BJP’s political conduct, Banerjee added, “When Bengal was participating in the freedom struggle, the BJP was not even born. They are looting our money and lying. They go out with guns on Ram Navami.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 polls, she struck a combative tone. “It is important to defeat the BJP so that it never stands up again. There will be a big ‘khela’ this time,” she said.
The Chief Minister’s comments come amid a political flashpoint over Form 6, which is used to add names to the electoral rolls. Violence broke out outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal in Kolkata on Tuesday, with Trinamool Congress and BJP workers clashing over allegations of bulk submissions.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee claimed that “BJP agents have been caught red-handed flooding the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, with thousands of fraudulent Form 6 applications to smuggle non-residents and outsiders into Bengal’s electoral rolls. This is an attempt at voter hijacking.”
She urged the Election Commission to act, calling such practices “illegal, unconstitutional, and fundamentally undemocratic in nature.”
Responding to the allegations, CEO Agarwal said, “This is not my work. I cannot keep checking who is bringing what into my office. Should I conduct elections in the whole State or keep doing this?”
According to ANI, a group of booth-level officers, supported by the ruling Trinamool Congress, claimed they stopped a BJP worker carrying over 400 Form 6 applications. This led to protests outside the office, with TMC supporters raising concerns.
Soon after, BJP workers reached the spot, triggering a confrontation between both sides. Protesters alleged that voters from outside West Bengal were being added to influence the elections.
With tensions rising, central forces and local police were deployed. Police used batons to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.
The controversy follows a complaint by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who accused the Election Commission of adding voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the rolls. He also claimed that around 30,000 Form 6 applications had been submitted in bulk.