Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto for West Bengal on Friday. He framed the upcoming assembly polls as a battle between “fear and trust.” The party aims to unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. The manifesto, titled ‘Sankalp Patra,’ emphasizes welfare measures for women, farmers, and youth. Key promises include monthly financial aid of Rs 3,000 for women, special packages for healthcare and education, and initiatives to improve industrial growth in the state.
During his speech, Shah criticized the TMC’s 15-year rule from 2011 to 2026. He promised to reveal what he called a detailed “corruption list” and ensure accountability through legal action. He vowed to ban cattle smuggling from West Bengal and accused the TMC of encouraging corruption through scams in teacher recruitment, municipal appointments, cattle smuggling, ration distribution, MGNREGA, and PM Awas schemes.
The manifesto outlines plans to establish more colleges with a focus on women’s education, create industrial zones to generate jobs, and implement special packages for fisheries and agro-processing units. The BJP also pledged to build more hospitals and create job opportunities for young people. Shah’s launch of the manifesto coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign rallies. Modi announced six major guarantees, including implementing the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees, taking action against corruption, and maintaining a strict approach to illegal infiltration while safeguarding the constitutional rights of refugees.
The BJP aims to replace what it describes as the TMC’s “reign of terror” with good governance and trust. The party began an extensive outreach campaign in February, gathering over eight lakh suggestions from citizens in various sectors, including industrialists, educators, farmers, and the Bengali diaspora.
West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29 across all 294 assembly constituencies. The results will be declared on May 4. In the 2021 elections, the TMC won a landslide victory with 213 seats, while the BJP secured 77 seats, a significant increase from just three seats in the previous election. The manifesto highlights the BJP’s effort to present itself as a development-focused alternative to the current government.