Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 17 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday termed the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections as a contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the people.
Expressing confidence in the BJP's victory in West Bengal, Fadnavis said that the people have decided for a "new start" to realise the dream of "Shonar Bangla."
He said, "The support shows that a change is going to be there. This is not BJP versus TMC, but the elections are a contest of Mamata versus the people of Bengal. People of West Bengal have decided on a new start to realise the dream of 'Shonar Bangla'."
Slamming the TMC government, he alleged that West Bengal, which used to be among the top five states in terms of economics, has "drowned in debt" with a poor GSDP-to-debt ratio.
"Today, if we want to build the future of the youth of Bengal, then it is necessary that industries come. Earlier, Bengal was among the top five states of the country. Today, Bengal is completely drowned in debt. Today, Bengal is first in the country in terms of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) debt ratio," the Maharashtra CM and BJP leader said.
Fadnavis is in West Bengal to campaign for the BJP ahead of elections.
In a last campaign push for the first phase elections in the state, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee turned up the heat against what she calls the "Bangla Birodhi" BJP.
Campaigning for candidates contesting from various seats in the Cooch Behar district on Thursday, CM Banerjee vowed to fight for protecting Bengal, safeguarding people's rights, and preserving its secular fabric.
"As long as I stand, I will not allow the Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars to inflict misery or suffering on the people of this land. I will fight to protect Bengal, safeguard the rights of those I am elected to serve, secure the future of this beautiful state, and preserve our secular fabric and inclusive ethos against every force that seeks to tear it apart," she posted on X, posting a campaign rally video alongside.
"But I need you beside me, as you have always been," her post added. Remembering her long political journey, she said that she has been consistent in her ideology and has walked "every step of this journey with the people."
Polling in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the results of the Assembly elections scheduled to be announced on May 4.
The state is set to witness a high-voltage contest between the incumbent Trinamool Congress, which is seeking a fourth consecutive term, and the BJP, which is aiming to form the government after a strong showing in the previous elections.
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