BJP will win West Bengal polls, drive out every single infiltrator: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed confidence that the BJP will win the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections and pledged to “drive out every single infiltrator” from the state if the party forms the government. Speaking at a Sashastra Seema Bal function in Araria, Bihar , bordering West Bengal, Shah said infiltration threatens national security , demographic balance, and strains public welfare resources such as ration supplies. He added that the effort to address infiltration would begin from Bihar’s Seemanchal region, where the BJP secured a mandate in last year’s assembly polls. Shah also paid tribute to freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his death anniversary, highlighting his role in portraying the Revolt of 1857 as India’s First War of Independence.

The BJP is intensifying its campaign, with Shah set to flag off the party’s “Parivartan Yatra” on 1 March to mobilise voters across the state. The 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election , covering 294 seats , is expected to be held by 7 May 2026 . The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expanding polling infrastructure while maintaining the existing 80,738 booths and deploying 240 Central Armed Police Force companies to sensitive districts, including Purba Medinipur, Kolkata, and Malda, to ensure smooth polling. Electoral rolls are being finalised, with approximately 60 lakh names under adjudication , while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised concerns that up to 1.2 crore names could be deleted through the Special Intensive Revision process, alleging potential voter disenfranchisement.

Security in the state has been further heightened by recent bomb threats targeting post offices and the Kolkata Passport Seva Kendra , prompting evacuations, searches by bomb squads and sniffer dogs , and a high alert at major government offices. Judicial proceedings in several district courts were also disrupted due to hoax threats, underscoring tensions in the run-up to the polls. Analysts note that these developments, combined with aggressive campaigning by both the BJP and ruling TMC , are creating a charged pre-election environment, with security, infiltration, and voter management emerging as central issues in what promises to be one of India’s most closely watched assembly elections.