A bitter struggle for Bengali identity and pride, or asmita, is anticipated to define the political landscape as the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections approach. Bengali culture and language are being defended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is accusing the BJP of fostering “anti-Bengali” attitude in areas it controls. It is anticipated that the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata herself, will vigorously advance this narrative in the upcoming months.
Mamata will protest the “anti-Bengali stance” of BJP-ruled states on July 16 by taking to the streets of Kolkata. According to party leaders, this event will mark the official start of her campaign and set the tone for the polls in 2026. At the TMC’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21, which will serve as the campaign’s grand finale, Mamata is anticipated to present her larger vision for the state and intensify her criticism on the BJP.
One of the main marketing tenets is anticipated to be Bengali pride. Bengalis are subjected to prejudice in states run by the BJP, according to TMC politicians, including state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Even though Bengalis wrote the national anthem and song, people in BJP states treat you like a Bangladeshi if you speak Bengali. Bhattacharya emphasized the emotional impact the party intends to use in its appeal to voters when he said, “They mark you and threaten to push you to Bangladesh.”
The BJP, on the other hand, is getting ready for a forceful retaliation. On July 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak at a rally in Asansol. According to BJP insiders, Modi would highlight the achievements of “double-engine governments,” in which the BJP controls both the state and the federal government, in providing for welfare and development. It is anticipated that he would compare this to Bengal, which he says has been hampered by Mamata’s combative politics.
The BJP is probably going to concentrate on the state’s law and order problems as well as purported demographic changes. Samik Bhattacharya, the recently appointed state party president, has attacked the TMC government for failings in education, women’s safety, and corruption. He asserted that Bengal is still “trapped in misrule” while the rest of the nation advances under Modi’s leadership. Bengal saw the Bengal Renaissance, but now observe Bengal: kids are being raped on campuses, and instructors are sitting on the roadways. Bengal cannot be excluded from the advantages of the New Bharat that Narendra Modi has created, according to Bhattacharya.
The fight for Bengal is predicted to get more intense, with Bengali asmita taking center stage, as Mamata’s district tours are anticipated to take place after July 21 and Modi and Amit Shah are anticipated to visit Bengal more frequently in the months to come.
