Amit Shah Meets Top West Bengal BJP Leaders To Discuss 2026 Poll Strategy

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday took stock of the political situation in West Bengal in a meeting with key BJP leaders of the state, including its president Samik Bhattacharya and national general secretary in-charge Sunil Bansal, as the party steps up its preparation for the assembly polls next year.

Mr Bhattacharya said the prevailing political situation and emerging issues were discussed in the meeting, but did not elaborate.

Asked about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the Election Commission has suggested will be rolled out in other states after Bihar and is being bitterly resisted by opposition parties, he said the next year's polls will be held on a "flawless voters list".

Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly opposed SIR, alleging that the EC is acting at the behest of the BJP and the drive could be a backroom tactic to implement the National Register of Citizens.

The BJP has pushed for an SIR in the state, claiming that a large number of infiltrators have become voters due to the patronage of the TMC.

A BJP leader said the road map for the party's preparation for the polls, which is likely to be held in March-April next year, was discussed in the meeting that was also attended by Mangal Pandey, a Bihar government minister and another in-charge for West Bengal, and co-incharge Amit Malviya.

Ms Banerjee has also been attacking the BJP for its administration's alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking migrants in the drive against infiltrators, as her party seeks to paint its main rival as hostile to the state's social and cultural milieu.

The BJP has, in turn, accused her of protecting infiltrators due to her "vote bank" politics.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)