West Bengal polls: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee targets PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah as ‘Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars’
Times of India | 8 April 2026
KOLKATA: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling them “Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars” who seek votes but fail to deliver for the people.
In a post on X, Banerjee shared a video from his election campaign in Cooch Behar, highlighting that the Trinamool Congress’s “Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar” works for people without expecting anything in return, according to news agency ANI.
"Nowhere. Because they were never here for the people. They were here for the votes. It is only the Trinamool Congress that has stood beside the people, in every crisis, at every hour, without condition and without calculation. The Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars DEMAND your votes without DELIVERING anything in return. Our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar DELIVERS without DEMANDING anything in return," Banerjee wrote on 'X'.
The TMC leader further questioned the absence of Modi and Shah during crises in the state, alleging they only visit Bengal during elections. He cited issues such as floods in North Bengal, NRC notices to citizens, harassment of voters, pending dues of tea garden workers, and alleged violence by central forces.
"It is as strange as it is revealing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah seem to locate Bengal on the map only when elections are around the corner. They descend upon Bengal with their suitcases of lies, their entourages of cameramen and teleprompters, delivering rousing sermons and grand promises. And then, without exception, they vanish without a trace. But where are they when North Bengal is ravaged by floods? When are legitimate citizens served NRC notices by Foreigners Tribunals? When genuine voters are harassed, humiliated, and disenfranchised? When are tea garden workers denied their Provident Fund dues by the Central Government? When people are shot dead in cold blood by Central Forces?" said Banerjee.
The remarks come days after Modi addressed a rally in Cooch Behar on April 5, where he targeted the ruling Trinamool Congress and said it would be held accountable for its “sins” after the results on May 4. He also claimed that a BJP government would accelerate development and act against infiltrators.
At the rally, Modi said the large turnout in Cooch Behar showed that the “Trinamool Congress’s time is up.”
West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.