Union Home Minister and former BJP national president Amit Shah, during a visit to Kolkata, prioritised the party’s goal of achieving one crore members in West Bengal. His speech at the EZCC in Salt Lake primarily focused on the 2026 state Assembly elections, bypassing any discussion of the upcoming by-elections scheduled for 13 November.

While Mr Shah briefly acknowledged the recent tragic incident involving the rape and murder of a female doctor from R.G. Kar Hospital, he did not visit the victim’s family or meet with her parents. This visit marked his first to the state since the Lok Sabha election results were announced. On Sunday afternoon, he inaugurated the BJP’s ‘Membe rship Drive’ at Salt Lake, wh ere his relatively short spe ech repeatedly referenced the 2026 state Assembly elections. Mr Shah outlined the potential changes under a BJP-led government in West Bengal, criticising the current Trinamul Congress government for ‘misrule’ and ‘corruption’.

He directly targeted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of misusing central funds and neglecting the state’s development. “Mamata Didi says the Centre isn’t sending funds for the 100-day work scheme. Even if the Centre allocates funds, they are consumed by Trinamul’s syndicate,” he said. Mr Shah said: “To build a ‘Golden Bengal,’ join BJP. If BJP comes to power, cattle smuggling and coal smuggling will stop, and no one will have to pay bribes for jobs.” He briefly mentioned the R.G. Kar incident, saying, “Incidents like the one in Sandeshkhali and R.G. Kar will stop if BJP comes to power in 2026.” Making BJP’s intent to win in West Bengal clear, he said: “We have won in Haryana. We will win in Jharkhand, Maharashtra. After that, our target is Bengal.”

Mr Shah also took a swipe at the Opposition INDIA bloc, claiming that the NDA government had allocated significantly more funds to West Bengal compared to the UPA. He expressed confidence in BJP’s ability to win the 2026 state Assembly elections, drawing parallels to the party’s recent victory in Haryana. Referring to the recent Lok Sabha election results, he took a jibe at Miss Banerjee, saying: “Mamata Didi was very happy when BJP won a few fewer seats.

Remember, Mamata Didi, BJP is a party that grew from 2 to 370 seats.” Before Mr Shah’s address, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, actor Mithun Chakraborty, and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari spoke, emphasising the importance of reaching the one crore membership target. Mithun Chakraborty expressed disappointment over the recent Lok Sabha election results but remained optimistic about the party’s future in West Bengal.