BJP's Revival Path ::: Collapse of Bengali culture and Decades of Political Decay

As West Bengal heads for 2026 elections, the collapse of Bengali culture and decades of political decay pose a sharp test for the BJP’s revival pitch.

Kolkata

Unlike its glorious intellectual and cultural past, West Bengal today is often described as a landscape of violence, turmoil, and persistent economic stagnation. The state that once produced Tagore, Vivekananda, Nazrul Islam, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen is now better known nationally for political killings, flight of capital, and social intimidation.

This decline did not happen overnight. Critics argue that the seeds were sown during the 34-year Left Front rule (1977–2011) and deepened under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Mamata Banerjee since 2011. The cumulative effect, they say, has been the collapse of Bengali culture as a confident, plural, and intellectually vibrant force.

Ironically, it is this vacuum that allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to emerge as a serious challenger. Through sustained grassroots work, the BJP expanded its base among Rajbongshis, Namasudras, Matuas, Koch-Rajbongshis, smaller Adivasi groups, Christians, Gorkhas in the hills, and rural poor in districts like Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, and Jhargram—despite its Hindutva-centric politics.

Many among these groups believe that appeasement politics, practised first by the Left and later intensified by the TMC, made sections of Muslims politically assertive at the cost of SC, ST, and OBC Hindus in rural Bengal. Resentment also grew over allegations that Muslim communities cornered a disproportionate share of OBC quota benefits.

At the same time, Bengal’s traditional bhadralok elite—Brahmins, Kayasthas, and Baidyas, together less than a fifth of the population—continued to dominate academia, culture, media, and administration. For vast sections at the margins, the BJP became a vehicle of protest against this entrenched hierarchy.

Yet, the BJP’s challenge goes far beyond arithmetic. The Partition of Bengal, which inflicted disproportionate suffering on the poor and lower castes, still shapes the state’s psyche. Cultural identity here is layered, emotional, and deeply suspicious of ideological imposition.

As the 2026 Assembly election approaches, these tensions are being discussed—often in veiled terms. While the Left is remembered for ideological rigidity and economic decay, the TMC is increasingly accused of cultivating a “threat culture” marked by political violence and the erosion of free thought.

“The Mamata government is intolerant of dissent and quick to use the state machinery to silence critics,” says Sujit Ghosh, a Kolkata-based taxi operator. Aurobindo Sen, a retired banker, agrees, noting that the use of intimidation and “rowdyism” shows troubling continuity from the Left era.

Economically, the story remains bleak. Industrial investment continues to elude Bengal, reinforcing cultural stagnation and youth migration. This raises a central electoral question: can ‘poriborton’ truly happen under the BJP?

The BJP, however, carries its own baggage. Past missteps by senior leaders helped Mamata Banerjee build a narrative that the party does not understand Bengal’s ethos. Several central leaders have stumbled over Bengal’s history, language, and cultural icons—fuel for TMC propaganda.

Former BJP president J P Nadda’s erroneous remark that Rabindranath Tagore was born in Santiniketan became emblematic of this disconnect. 

Critics further argue that the BJP’s Hindi-centric, nationalistic rhetoric, especially on issues like “infiltrators,” clashes with Bengal’s plural traditions shaped by figures such as Kazi Nazrul Islam.

This sets the stage for 2026. The election may not merely be about governance or corruption—it could well become a referendum on whether Bengali culture can be revived, and by whom.

The BJP’s dilemma is stark: can it promise cultural renewal without appearing culturally alien? The answer may decide whether Bengal witnesses another cycle of continuity—or a genuine rupture with its recent past.

(This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are author’s own)

(Courtesy - The Raisina Hills) 

Rs 16 crore --- just "peanuts" ---- 'Friends of the Hill People' -- that is the Assam Rifles may forgo Rs 16 crore and vacate the ARTC land in Dimapur for Airport

A substantial portion of land at Dimapur Airport- Nagaland’s only civil airport- has remained under the occupation of the Assam Rifles Training Centre– 18.9 acres out of 140 acres, despite the land being under the administrative control of the Airports Authority of India.

     New Delhi Airport model display

The 18.9 acres of land under Phase–I involves construction of aerobridge, proposed parking bay for 14 aircrafts and helicopters from the present four.

The Assam Rifles is supposed to vacate to Shokhuvi village while CRPF has decided to vacate the 8 acres it occupies and shift to Chümoukedima.

On January 7, the director of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Dimapur Airport, clarified that the 18.9 acres of land identified for evacuation constituted the first phase and formed a critical component of the airport’s approved master plan for phase-one developmental works.

The director stated that the ARTC was scheduled to vacate the 18.9 acres by October 2025. However, the process was disrupted after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a communication to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in September 2025, requested that 2.27 acres of the earmarked land be retained “for the time being”.

According to MHA, the request was made due to the presence of an approach road to family accommodation, underground water supply infrastructure, and two transformers located on the said portion of land.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has that the Assam Rifles Training Centre (ARTC) would have to provide Nagaland with a new airport if it does not vacate the land belonging to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Dimapur Airport.

Rio made the statement while addressing the media after a Cabinet meeting and Political Affairs Committee meeting held at Rhododendron Hall, Police Complex, Chümoukedima.

Responding to queries on the outcome of deliberations regarding the armed forces’ occupation of airport land, the chief minister said a committee had decided to take up the matter with the concerned central ministry. Now there is a stalemate. 

The ball seemingly lies in the court of the Union Home Ministry and that way also with the Assam Rifles.  

It is claimed that the state government has also cleared the handover of the 17.9 acres. One argument now gained currency is that the cost of neglect or delay in pushing such a product is evident. 

Blogger 

The ARTC has reportedly sought Rs 16 crore for some of the buildings in the occupied areas. This also means ... probably only the compensation issue or the amount is now hindering the project. 

In all fairness this is not a genuine issue to delay such a project. The Assam Rifles has a tradition and pride for being Friends of the Hill People. This is a critical as well sensitive claim given the touchy aspects that figure from time to time. 

As someone who has tracked Assam Rifles as well as the state of Nagaland and Union Home Ministry -- I find this as a non issue. 

One may feel the demand for compensation is crucial. It is also a paltry sum. The amount of Rs 16 crore for a development project is also a peanut amount for the Ministry of Home Affairs. Then why such tactics being deployed ? 

I am not seeking to gain any sympathy/credit or trying to poke my news that we as journalists often do that. Let me state something very sincerely but keeping a long term interest in mind. If the Assam Rifles is genuinely 'friends' of the Hill People -- they can easily vacate the land for a national and public cause. 

The Govt of India and the Union MHA under irreplaceable Amit Shah may also quickly intervene and end the impasse. 

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Omkar and Drone Recast Hindu Pride ::: Namo-led Somnath Swabhiman Parv ::: Historic Temple again reminds Bharat of who it has been—and who it is becoming ....

Government initiatives—ranging from ₹111 crore infrastructure investments to tax exemptions for donors notified in April 2022—have transformed the region into an engine of heritage-driven development. Local livelihoods have flourished. Tour operators speak of Gujarat offering a “bouquet of civilisation—forests, faith, sea, and history.” 

Vendors and workers proudly describe themselves as brand ambassadors of India’s civilisation, echoing Modi’s own words.

For many devotees present, including those who serve tourists daily, Modi’s presence carried emotional weight. His message was clear: heritage and development are not opposites—they are partners. Somnath, he said, represents both India’s spiritual roots and its modern aspirations.

In the 21st century, Somnath’s legend has acquired a new dimension. The temple is no longer just a monument of survival—it is a living assertion of Hindu faith, cultural continuity, and national self-confidence. Under a starlit sky lit by drones and devotion alike, Somnath once again reminded India of who it has been—and who it is becoming.

                               Modi's mentor L K Advani launched Rath Yatra from Somnath in 1990

From repeated destruction to 21st-century resurgence, Somnath Temple rises as a symbol of faith, resilience, and India’s cultural revival under Narendra Modi. 

At Somnath, history does not merely rest in stone—it breathes, chants, and ascends into the night sky. The celebration of Somnath Swabhiman Parv, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was not just a religious event. 

It was a powerful civilisational statement—where Omkar chanting, devotion, and cutting-edge drone technology merged to tell a thousand-year-old story of resilience.

The defining moment was a spectacular drone show, illuminating the skies of Prabhas Kshetra with divine and historical imagery tracing Somnath’s Swabhiman Yatra—its long journey of destruction, revival, and rebirth. Hundreds of drones choreographed visuals that left devotees spellbound, immersing the sacred township in devotion and a renewed sense of national pride.

The symbolism was unmistakable. Somnath, the first Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, has once again risen—like a phoenix from its ashes. The temple has endured repeated assaults on faith and identity, from the invasions of the medieval period to long decades of neglect. 

Yet, time and again, it has returned, rebuilt by believers who refused to let history end in rubble.

Destroyed after 1290 by Alauddin Khilji, restored by the Chudasama ruler Mahipala, desecrated again under subsequent regimes, and finally ordered to be destroyed “beyond the possibility of repair” by Aurangzeb in 1701, Somnath’s story mirrors the endurance of Hindu civilisation itself. As chronicled by K.M. Munshi, Somnath was never merely a temple—it was a test of cultural survival.

That survival gained new momentum in independent India under Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose personal supervision ensured the temple’s reconstruction. Later, leaders like Dr Rajendra Prasad and Morarji Desai nurtured its revival. In the 21st century, that legacy has found continuity under Prime Minister Modi—now also the Chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust, a role he assumed unanimously in January 2021.

Somnath today stands tall on the shores of the Arabian Sea, its 150-foot Shikhar crowned by a 10-ton Kalash, its Dhwajdand soaring 27 feet high. Beyond faith, it has emerged as a major spiritual tourism hub, drawing lakhs of pilgrims and tourists from India and across the world.

(courtesy - The Raisina Hills)

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Mumbai refined Identity Politics .... It has not turned away all that !! ::: Big Picture --- BMC Verdict -- Thackeray Parochialism Faces Voter Rejection

 BMC verdict signals Mumbai’s return to Hindu nationalism blended with development—the political grammar of Modi 

Mumbai has delivered a verdict that goes far beyond municipal arithmetic. The rejection of the Thackeray cousins—Uddhav and Raj—is not merely an electoral setback; it marks the collapse of Marathi-manus parochialism and the consolidation of what may be called “genuine Hindutva with development.”

Maharashtra’s historical proximity to Gujarat—geographical, commercial, and ideological—is often underestimated. Long before the BJP became a national force, western India witnessed the early churn of Hindu revivalism. Gujarat’s industrial ecosystem, its encounter with Left trade unionism, and its social response to perceived cultural erosion made it fertile ground for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s organisational expansion under Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

Over decades, the RSS and later the BJP patiently worked to reshape social life around Hindu nationalism—not as elite conservatism, once associated with the Hindu Mahasabha, but as a broad-based civilisational identity. That long journey appears to have reached a decisive urban milestone in Mumbai.  

For Uddhav Thackeray, the BMC elections were existential. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation—Asia’s richest civic body—had been Shiv Sena’s fortress for over 25 years. His 2019 decision to sever ties with the BJP and ally with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP was a gamble. This election was the final reckoning.

Mumbai’s verdict suggests that voters punished Uddhav not just for governance fatigue but for ideological betrayal. Aligning with parties perceived as “anti-Hindu” cut against the Sena’s foundational ethos—and against Bal Thackeray’s lifelong political instincts.

Equally damaging was Raj Thackeray’s strident Marathi exclusivism. His politics of intimidation—beating up migrants for not speaking Marathi—alienated vast non-Marathi populations that form Mumbai’s economic backbone. The city appears to have issued a moral correction to that phase of fear-driven identity politics.

As Sanjay Nirupam aptly noted, Mumbaikars have set a clear agenda: development, development, and only development. That agenda now travels comfortably with Hindu nationalism—no longer shrill, but managerial and aspirational.

The numbers confirm the shift. The BJP-led Mahayuti swept the BMC with 118 seats; the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 90 seats, while the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) followed with 28. The once-dominant Shiv Sena (UBT) was reduced to political irrelevance in its own backyard.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the mandate as an endorsement of welfare and governance. More accurately, it is an endorsement of post-parochial Hindutva—a politics that rejects linguistic intimidation while embracing cultural confidence and urban development.

Mumbai has not turned away from identity politics. It has refined it. 

(courtesy - The Raisina Hills) 

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Imagination works as a powerful element in this Internet-driven era ::: Imagine you have a great LOVER ... FEELS MAKES feel Safer and Happier than real-life situation --- Worse this has hurt institution of Marriage !!

"Imagination" as a phenomenon in this era is not only fictional. It often makes one feel Happier, perhaps prettier and hence Richer and Safer than any unpredictable real-life situation. 

Worse, in today's world this has hurt the institution of Marriage !! But with Gen Zee ... does the Marriage/Wedding symbolize any institution or just the ritual ?

A ritual ... where the girl may sing "Didi tera Dewar Diwana".  

In the 1990s when I was single ... I was quizzed by a naughty politician ... (I won't say where .. forget who). But Neta was a good friend and somehow -- irrespective of ups and downs ... in our bonds - we are friends even in circa 2026. 

His question was - "How do you spend your weekend.... you are still a bachelor?"

I was seeing him off late evening in front of a popular hotel in the town. And little to guess - my friend/politician had his home and family in the same town. Ting Tong - he was not bachelor. 

Next day -- when we met -- one of his first questions was --- "Why don't get married soon"? 

My response was -- "Well, the condition I am in professionally ... I cannot do justice to the institution of marriage".

And like a prophet he wished -- "I hope this institute of marriage actually vanishes".   His response had double meaning ! 

So now we come back to the topic of the day ... Has the Institution of Marriage actually failed as an 'institution' ? 

One college going youth in Delhi Metro .... was sitting angrily ... and repeatedly cursing someone 'F ..... man .... F man'.

As it was late evening ... the compartment was almost deserted and so I got an opportunity ... first to sympathise with him and then posed a few questions -- driven by my bad-old professional habits. 

"Love and marriage is good when you are only imagining about it. Uncle; every time I have crush I am able to set my standards high and higher... this creates another problem and I am then not keen to  bringing them down."

I thought his/her words were quite educative for me.

The new generation has set their own priorities and so have started 'redefining' everything around them. 

Walking back to my house -- I was almost telling myself --- A failed relationship either in Love or Marriage doesn’t spell the end of life.

We may need to heal ... need to take some time out to get back to oneself and then together if at all. But all these need not definitely end one's ability to love or take a relook at things. 

There are multiple reasons for Love to fail. These days things have moved to "living together" stage. I have friends born in 1960s and 1970s -- and most say -- we all are unlucky never to find such a thing as a"trendy" fashion. 

Even in my case -- the Hitler (or Gen Musharraf) of my life -- my dad - decided .... about my marriage.  

But why a marriage breaks -- usually the "burden of responsibility" changes a person -- it could be wife or husband or both.

Another obvious facet is -- staying with a person almost 24/7 -- including sharing of bathroom or keeping one's towel on bed or on the sofa etc etc ... unfold the "unknown" sides. 

Hence the usual jokes about husband-wife (pati-patni desi ones) and the great lament :

"I did a mistake by marrying you".

 

Essentially the society has changed. If it is in the name of development, career movement or financial autonomy --- all these transitions have virtually 'redefined' everything around you.

Traditionally in Indian concept -- 

Marriage was like a good partnership; -- a necessity.

Two people may have to team up to get through life. The man earned and wife cooked. We even saw phrases like 'henpecked husbands' ... now fading out. In many cases -- do not be surprised -- if the lady says 

- "Wah mutton !! ... I love it ... and you know my husband cooks it so well". 

Go deep ... things have changed more.

People are now 'capable'. Everyone can do or at least manage almost everything -- solo — house rent, travel.

The 'requirement' (necessity) was a powerful element with our elders. But now -- who needs marriage ? 

This automatically makes you go deeper --- Romance does not work beyond first few years !

Reality check :: One social worker in Kolkata told me -- Romance has also become lazy. Something outside you or your family has spoiled it. Romance ... may include package of problems 

- Diamond rings, foreign trips, no interference of in-laws in either case for husband or the wife.   

In India -- Marriage as a phenomenon was much beyond two  families. Caste has been an important element.

These days -- language could be compromised ... but what about food habits. 

Get a Gujarati daughter in law for a sorse-Ilish liking Bengali boy  -- the kitchen would remain shut for months and Pizza wallahs may do good business in the entire process. 

Take a close look -- now there are endless opinions and numerous expectations.

Chaos is your permanent uninvited guest. And the 'anxiety packaged with tension' the real gift.  

Some people may get caught between family demands, love and ambition.  

***Before my marriage -- my senior colleagues (and married ones) had advised me -- Never marry into the same profession. You will keep discussing office politics and ask each other -- "mera story para kys (Did you read my story)".  

*** Some Guru Mantra :  

One way to help yourself get over a bad relationship or marriage is to keep yourself  BUSY.

Writing is one world -- we can bet. Opt for easier or tougher games -- cooking !! 

Being idle or alone -- may suit Kishore Kumar's sad number ---  

Kabhi palko pe aasu hai

Kabhi lab pe shikayat hai

Magar ae zindagi phir bhi

(Tears have become permanent features of my eyelids etc etc ....

But Kishore da singularly will not help you at all going through failed relationships.

Another Mantra :  

Be sincere not to play victim/self pity. Do not blame yourself for everything if the marriage has failed.

Again ,,, be sincere to admit about your wrongs. 

** If you are a man read this from Chanakya -- 

".... a woman is four times more brazen than a man. She also has six times his courage and eight times his strength of passion".  

If you are woman --  read this : 

We are not only fighting against inequality ... Feminism will be necessary until women have achieved everything are are equal to men. 

Equality means no Head of the family. Sadly, Equality is no equilibrium. 

Ends 

 

PM Modi plays Singur 2 for Mamata .. urges Voters to end Maha Jungle Raj

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Singur, accused the Trinamool Congress of running a `maha jungle raj` in West Bengal and urged voters to pledge for change ahead of the Assembly elections. 

Invoking social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Modi said change in Bengal must come through women and youth. “Under TMC’s rule, daughters are not safe, and the education system is in the grip of mafias and corrupt elements,” he alleged. 

He claimed that a BJP government would prevent incidents like Sandeshkhali, curb violence in colleges, and ensure that teachers do not lose their jobs again.

He said only a BJP government could restore law and order, implement central welfare schemes, and unlock Bengal`s cultural pride and economic potential.

Modi on Sunday launched a direct and sharp attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), declaring that the state is ready to end what he described as its “maha jungle raj”. Modi urged voters to pledge for change, repeatedly invoking the slogan “paltano dorkar” (change is necessary).

Drawing parallels with Bihar, the Prime Minister said the BJP and the NDA had already “stopped jungle raj” there and that West Bengal would follow the same path. “A very large number of mothers, sisters, and farmers have come with the same hope, we want real change,” he said, adding that people wanted to end “15 years of mega jungle raj” in the state.

Modi placed strong emphasis on Bengal’s cultural pride, arguing that his government had honoured icons and traditions that previous regimes had ignored. 

“It is a BJP government that installed a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in front of India Gate. For the first time, the contribution of the Azad Hind Fauj was honoured at the Red Fort,” he said. He also pointed to the renaming of an island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after Netaji and the UNESCO World Heritage tag for Durga Puja.

Questioning the TMC’s record when it was part of the UPA government, Modi asked, “When these TMC people were partners in Sonia Gandhi’s government in Delhi, why didn’t they do this then?” He added, “It is Modi who has so much love for Bengal.”

He also highlighted that Bengali was granted classical language status during the BJP’s tenure at the Centre, calling it recognition long overdue for the state’s rich literary heritage.

Vande Mataram and Singur connect

Speaking from Singur, Modi linked the rally to the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. He noted that Parliament had recently held a special discussion to honour Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. “The connection between Hooghly and Vande Mataram is very special. It is said that it was here that Rishi Bankim Ji gave Vande Mataram its full form,” he said, urging people to make the song a “mantra for developing West Bengal and India”.

A major part of Modi’s speech focused on law and order, women’s safety, and alleged corruption under the TMC. He accused the state government of allowing “rioters, looters and mafias” to operate freely and spoke of a “syndicate tax” imposed on everyday activities. “Only a BJP government will end this mafia rule; this is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

Hint against foreign players :::: Sheikh Hasina's foreign minister Mahmud addresses rare press conference, flays Yunus regime

 Former Bangladedh foreign minister Hasan Mahmud addressing a rare press conference in Delhi on Saturday, said that many of those who were killed in 2024, died of sniper fire, by agents who used guns of a calibre which the Bangladesh security forces did not have.

This was a bring hint that foreign or enemy elements may have been behind the shootings to present the then Hasina regime in poor light. 

"Our last hope was the UN, but we were failed in this... Usually a UNHCR report is done after a resolution by the UN Security council," he said.

 Howwever, in this case UNHCR chief Volker Turk, whom Bangladesh's interim chief advisor Mohammad Yunus describes as a friend, "went ahead with a report merely on the request of the Yunus government."

He alleged that no stakeholders were consulted and that there was no clear provenance for the data. According to him, several individuals listed as having been killed in official gazettes issued by the Yunus administration were later found to be alive.

Mahmud, who was speaking along with Golam Maruf Majumdar Nijhoom, head of the legal team of the International Crimes Research Foundation, also said that the Awami League was in the process of compiling a comprehensive account of killings under the incumbent Yunus regime.

The former foreign minister also pointed out that "hundreds of journalists have been arrested on flimsy charges, newspaper offices and cultural organisations have been attacked, some one lakh Awami leaguers are in jail and minorities have been systematically attacked and killed after the new, illegal regime took over".

Mahmud also criticised the elections which are poised to be held next month in Bangladesh, calling it "one-sided" as Awami League which he claimed has a support of nearly 60 per cent of the population is being denied a chance to fight it. 

"It is an arranged election and hardly free or fair," Mahmud alleged.

Accusing the UNHCR of overlooking violence against members of the Awami League and security forces, Mahmud alleged that the report failed to account for the killing of thousands of police personnel during the unrest. 

He claimed that nearly 3,000 policemen were killed and cited an incident in which an entire police station, with about 40 officers inside, was set on fire.

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An Imaginative Missive – ‘Narendra Modi’s Open Letter’ on West Bengal polls 2026

 Creativity is all about Imagination 

An Imaginative Missive – ‘Narendra Modi’s Open Letter’ on Bengal polls 

Preparing for the Impending Storm

Respected ‘Bangla’ – Banga Bhoomi and My dear Bengalis !!  

I am writing this letter not as Prime Minister of India but rather more as a concerned citizen – who has lately seen West Bengal politics from a much closer range. The elections in West Bengal have seen violence unleashed by Trinamool Congress goons. In 2021 -- it reached a crescendo.

Do not laugh and dismiss my letter. It is ironical that for decades, Mamata Banerjee herself fought against Leftists politics of electoral violence and today her party workers have done the same. 

As much they change, as much they remain the same – rightly goes the saying.

To many, this letter could appear strange, but then as for my critics – a substantial of them from West Bengal – I have been a strange politician.

For years, people’s complaint against the Communists have been that by pretending to be ‘champions of the poor’ – the Marxists have played the role of crony capitalists and promoted land mafia and ‘promoters’.

People suffered; but due to ‘fear’ they kept on voting in favour of the Leftists. There was rigging also and thus Jyoti Basu ruled for decades.

Unfortunately today, the Trinamool regime has turned more ‘communists than the Left’ on two fronts – minority appeasement and also promoting and implementing in full the ‘syndicate’ raj. The ‘tollabaji’ – I mentioned about these in election campaigning from time to time.

In 2019, I have said during last one month of election campaign that – “After suffering Congress, Communists and Trinamool misrule. Bengal is looking towards BJP with great hope. I assure them – we won’t let Bengal down”.  

Some years back, when Ratan Tata was shunted out of West Bengal and was forced to shut the Nano project, I had welcomed him in Gujarat. That is certainly a different story.

The other part of the story and what is important in today’s context is that the communists’ regime under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had played a duplicity game and did try to help Indonesia’s Salim Group and also Tatas.

In fact, closer scrutiny revealed that the Marxists had gone out of their way to ‘bend’ rules and allow these two houses operate in Nandigram and Singur.

Didi fought the Leftists – sometime the right way (that is correct!) but also took help of some elements she should have avoided.

In the end of course she won 19 Lok Sabha MPs from Bengal in 2009 and finally ousted the communists from Writer’s Building in 2011.

I will not hesitate to say that Mamata Banerjee started seeing big dreams and focused less on works. She was already in the grip of syndicate and Sharada Chit fund scam. Then came in her weakness for Bhatija ! Bhaipo !!

Kya Karen !! Delhi abhi duur hae !

Therefore, I will not hesitate to tell that the credibility of her government was seriously ‘eroded’ as she deviated from the path of good governance – a point I try to always stress on.

In her desperation to fight me, she started the game of hate – a real dangerous sports in politics. In the process, she indulged in open carelessness and her party started encouraging Bangladeshi infiltrators. 

Didi started hating Hindus and Hindu culture resulting in people getting worried whether they could still celebrate Durga Puja.

The words ‘Ram Dhanu’ for Rainbow and ‘Krishna Kali’ -- a type of a tree/plant ---- started irritating her. 

Urdu became her preferred language and our Didi almost turned into ‘aapa’.

The mix of political appeasement towards minorities, corruption and promotion of goondaism has yielded her temporary benefits. 

But once the Bengali voters could see through her machinations, they knew what to do. An overwhelming of them have turned towards the BJP. This unnerved Didi further and she started doing more mistakes and helping more consolidation in favour of my party. 

Her nervousness came out in a most blatant manner in 2026 ... and hence on Jan 8th -- she went herself to disturb the works of ED officials. 

The matter has gone to court. I would not touch more on that. 

Meanwhile the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have given us a massive mandate. I am grateful to the people of Mumbai for reposing confidence in the BJP. 

I thank the people of Maharashtra for the NDA’s strong performance in the municipal corporation elections. This mandate is an endorsement of the alliance’s agenda of public welfare and good governance. We will march ahead towards greater glories. We are looking forward with a very positive and result-oriented mindset towards elections in West Bengal, Assam and also Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. 

In the ultimate, what matters is performance and sincerity.

The elections this year should serve as a reminder of what faceless common people can achieve – the real Parivartan ! – when these faceless voters are courageous and united towards achieving their target.

When history will be written about West Bengal of 2026 – well the scholars can easily start by saying – once upon a time people gave up their fears.

Sincerely - Narendra Modi

(Disclaimer - This blog is being written with a peculiar intent. Hence the entire work is imaginative and also sarcastic. It is even out of tune with modern times. 

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