Launching his party’s campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, holding the state government responsible for the saffron party’s rise in Bengal. Addressing a public rally in Raiganj, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the BJP’s growing presence in the state was a direct consequence of the policies and governance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“It is because of Mamata Banerjee’s flawed policies and corruption that the BJP has been able to establish itself in Bengal,” Gandhi said, adding, “Mamata herself is responsible for the BJP’s rise in the state.”
The Congress leader also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reviving his criticism over alleged corporate influence in the economy. Referring to the Adani Group, Gandhi claimed that the country’s economic structure was being controlled by a select few.
“India has been handed over. It is no longer just ‘Adani’; it has become ‘Modani’—a mix of Modi and Adani,” he said, reiterating his allegation that the Prime Minister favours certain corporate entities.
Stepping up his attack on the TMC government, Gandhi accused it of failing on employment and industrial growth. He alleged that industries and factories have shut down under the current regime and criticised what he described as unfulfilled promises of job creation.
“Mamata Banerjee promised five lakh jobs, but today lakhs are struggling, and many are dependent on allowances,” he said, adding that better governance could have prevented the BJP’s expansion in the state.
Seeking to connect with voters in North Bengal, Gandhi invoked the legacy of Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, a prominent Congress leader from the region. He said Dasmunsi’s contributions to the development of Raiganj and the surrounding areas continue to resonate with the people.
“If Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi were alive today, Bengal would have had a Congress government, and he would have been the Chief Minister,” Gandhi asserted.
The Congress MP also took a swipe at the Prime Minister’s recent rallies in the state, claiming that Modi appeared “on the defensive.” He further alleged that the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP posed a threat to the Constitution.
With political campaigning intensifying ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Gandhi’s remarks signal an aggressive push by the Congress to reclaim its space in West Bengal’s evolving political landscape.
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