Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government in West Bengal after the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. 

Speaking at the programme at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Kolkata, the BJP leader said, “In 2026, the masnad (throne) will be ours and we will do everything to achieve the goal.”

The Bollywood actor who was felicitated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the inauguration of a membership drive of the BJP in the state,  stressed that he will join the membership campaign in the state in November.

Chakraborty called upon the BJP functionaries in the state to ensure one crore membership in the campaign that will last till November 30.

Inaugurating the membership drive, the Union Home Minister accused the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of being involved in “state-sponsored infiltration” and claimed that the women are “not safe” in the state citing the rape and murder of a resident doctor at government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Shah on accused the Mamata government in West Bengal of being involved in “state-sponsored infiltration” and claimed that the women are “not safe” in the state citing the rape and murder of a resident doctor at government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The union home minister said the only way to end it in the state is to elect a BJP government in the 2026 elections.

“I have come to tell the youth of Bengal that if you want to stop the illegal infiltration of foreigners in this country, then the only way is to form BJP government in 2026 in Bengal,” the Union Home Minister said.

“Today, I went to the border and some people told me there that they don’t get the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. I told them to not worry and wait till 2026. From 2026, every poor of Bengal will get the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The youth will not have to pay any bribe for jobs and education,” he said.

Women’s safety 

Raising concerns for the safety of women in the state, the Union Home Minister pointed to the incidents of Sandeshkhali and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a woman doctor was raped and murdered in August, asserting that these exemplify the lack of security for women in the state.

“Women are not safe in Bengal. Incidents like Sandeshkhali and RG Kar will stop when BJP comes to power in 2026,” Shah said. He called for immediate action to ensure the safety and security of women in the state.

Launching a blistering attack on Mamata government, the Union Home minister said, “In Bengal, where Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore songs) used to be heard in the morning, sound of bombs is heard everywhere now. In Bengal, state-sponsored infiltration is going on. Corruption in job hiring, health sector and rations along with cut money and syndicates, is rampant.

“To get rid of these and build a Sonar Bangla (Developed Bengal) as envisioned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the people of Bengal need to elect a BJP government in 2026,” he said after launching the party’s membership drive in West Bengal, setting a target of enrolling one crore members from the state.

The cut-money culture and corruption must end in West Bengal, he said while setting a target of “winning a two-thirds majority” in the 2026 assembly polls.