Kolkata: Union minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed that “speedy demographic modifications” beneath the TMC’s rule in West Bengal might quickly flip Hindus right into a minority in a number of districts, making it “very troublesome” for candidates belonging to the neighborhood to win elections sooner or later.

In an interview with PTI, the previous state BJP president stated the celebration has recalibrated its marketing campaign after failing to come back to energy within the 2021 meeting polls.

Majumdar framed the 2026 meeting polls as a demographic turning level for the state.

“The census has not occurred but, however Mamata Banerjee herself stated Muslims represent round 33 per cent of the inhabitants. It could possibly be 33–35 per cent. This proportion will enhance within the subsequent 5 years. After that, it is going to change into very troublesome for Hindus to win elections,” he stated.

Majumdar claimed that the 2026 meeting polls might due to this fact be the “final election” the place Bengali Hindus stay the deciding issue within the state’s electoral outcomes, if the TMC retains energy.

“The TMC will step by step be compelled to offer extra tickets to Muslims as a substitute of Hindus because of the change in demography. You possibly can already hear calls for for a Muslim deputy CM. These calls for can be fulfilled in future, and ultimately that would result in a Muslim chief minister,” he claimed.

Drawing a historic parallel, Majumdar referred to communal violence throughout the Partition and the Nice Calcutta Killing when the Muslim League was in energy.

The BJP has repeatedly alleged that demographic modifications in border districts of West Bengal are altering the state’s political panorama — an argument the celebration has used to sharpen its marketing campaign narrative forward of the 2026 meeting polls.

Muslims affect roughly one-third of the state’s meeting seats, making a structural problem for the BJP if the neighborhood votes overwhelmingly towards it.

Majumdar stated the election was concerning the future route of the state.

“It’s not nearly saving Bengali Hindus. It’s about saving West Bengal from turning into Pakistan or Afghanistan. Solely the BJP can save Bengal,” he stated.

Majumdar added that the celebration was banking on consolidation amongst Bengali Hindu voters and rising disillusionment with the ruling TMC.

“Hindus now perceive that in the event that they need to survive in West Bengal, they need to take away this authorities,” he stated.

He additionally alleged that the state faces rising affect of “fundamentalist forces” in some areas, notably alongside the Bangladesh border, and stated, “A big portion of West Bengal is already beneath the affect of criminals, fundamentalists and fanatics.”

Requested concerning the emergence of Islamist-leaning political outfits within the state, Majumdar stated the BJP, if elected, would take “essential measures” towards unrecognised madrassas allegedly concerned in communal actions.

The election, he stated, will not be solely about id politics but additionally governance.

“There was no main funding in 15 years. Gujarat will get round 17 per cent of India’s FDI, whereas West Bengal will get solely 0.66 per cent. There isn’t a improvement, no funding, the fiscal well being of the state is poor, and the training system is declining,” he alleged.

The BJP had surged to 38 per cent vote share within the 2021 meeting polls after touching round 40 per cent within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, however that assist didn’t translate into energy because the ruling TMC swept 213 of the 294 seats.

“Strategically, we have now taken a number of initiatives — strengthening the sales space organisation and booth-level cadre. Our campaigning technique has additionally modified. It’s now extra Bengali or Bengal-centric,” he stated.

Majumdar insisted that the numbers present the BJP’s base stays intact.

“If there have been organisational weaknesses, we wouldn’t have had 38–39 per cent vote share. The competition in Bengal is bipolar and lots of seats have been determined by very slim margins,” he stated.

In response to him, almost 40 seats in 2021 have been determined by margins beneath 5,000 votes and a number of other others inside 8,000 votes — the gaps he believes might swing if alleged irregularities in voter lists are eradicated.

“Useless voters’ names, duplicate ones and different irregularities have been used. Within the Barrackpore Lok Sabha election, we did a research displaying round 40,000 false votes have been solid towards Arjun Singh,” he claimed.

He argued that the continuing revision of electoral rolls has eliminated 1000’s of “useless or invalid” voters from a number of seats, which he believes will change the arithmetic of shut contests.

“In the event you analyse 2021, you will notice that in lots of Muslim-dominated cubicles turnout was above 90 per cent, typically even 98 or 99 per cent. In 14 cubicles the turnout was 100 per cent,” he stated.

The TMC, nonetheless, has mounted a political offensive towards the SIR train, accusing the BJP of engineering large-scale deletions of Bengali voters. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has moved the Supreme Courtroom, alleging that tens of millions of names — together with many from the Matua neighborhood — have been faraway from the rolls.

“There isn’t a injury. As quickly because the checklist got here out, our employees began serving to folks refill Type 6. Eligible voters will get their names added,” he stated, whereas rejecting the cost.

Not like the TMC, which is led by Mamata Banerjee, the BJP has not projected a chief ministerial face for the election.

“Why ought to we play on Mamata Banerjee’s pitch? If India prepares a tempo pitch towards Australia in Mohali, India will lose. The BJP performs a staff recreation,” Majumdar stated, citing the celebration’s victories in Delhi and Odisha with out projecting a chief ministerial candidate.

The BJP’s determination to discipline chief of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, from Bhabanipur, the CM’s constituency and one in every of Kolkata’s most politically symbolic seats, is a part of that technique, he added. “We need to defeat Mamata immediately,” Majumdar stated.

This report is auto-generated from PTI information service. ThePrint holds no duty for its content material.