West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming the ruling party’s “downfall” had begun after it failed to secure passage of a Constitution amendment bill on women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha.
Addressing rallies at Uluberia in Howrah and Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, the Trinamool Congress chief alleged that the BJP no longer enjoys a majority in Parliament and is dependent on allies to remain in power.
“Yesterday proved they are no longer a majority government. It is a minority government. They are somehow running it with the support of two parties,” she said, referring to the party’s reliance on NDA partners.
Her remarks came a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women and expanding Lok Sabha seats, was defeated in the House. While 298 MPs voted in favour, 230 opposed it, short of the two-thirds majority required.
Banerjee questioned the Centre’s decision to link women’s reservation with delimitation, invoking the Bengali phrase ‘shak diye mach dhaka’ to suggest an attempt to conceal its real intent.
“Why link it with delimitation? Is this an attempt to hide fish with greens?” she asked.
‘Beginning of BJP’s decline’
Projecting the parliamentary setback as a larger political shift, Banerjee said it marked the start of the BJP’s national decline.
“Modi sahib’s downfall began in Delhi yesterday. In the Lok Sabha, you have been defeated; now you will have to be defeated on the ground. Bengal will show the way,” she told supporters.
She also asserted her long-standing support for women’s reservation, saying she had championed the cause since 1998.
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Banerjee alleged that linking the quota with delimitation was part of a broader political strategy to redraw boundaries and weaken states like West Bengal.
“It was a plan to divide the country, divide Bengal and divide every state… We will not allow Bengal to be divided,” she said.
Highlighting her party’s record, she said women make up around 37 per cent of the TMC’s Lok Sabha MPs and 46 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, adding that the party has implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.
The chief minister also took a swipe at Bihar politics, referring to Nitish Kumar’s recent exit, alleging allies were being sidelined.
She cautioned voters against alleged BJP schemes promising cash assistance, claiming they were attempts to collect personal data.
Banerjee further accused the Centre of planning to misuse central agencies and forces during the upcoming Assembly elections, asserting that her party would resist any such moves.
Reiterating her broader political pitch, she framed the 2026 West Bengal elections as the next major battleground, saying the BJP would face another defeat after its setback in Parliament.
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