Summary of this article
Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the 2026 assembly polls could therefore be the “last election” where Bengali Hindus remain the deciding factor.
He said BJP has recalibrated its campaign after failing to come to power in the 2021 assembly polls.
Muslims constituting around 30 per cent of the population, will increase in the next five years, he says.
Union minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed that "rapid demographic changes" under the TMC's rule in West Bengal could soon turn Hindus into a minority in several districts, making it "very difficult" for candidates belonging to the community to win elections in the future.
In an interview with PTI, the former state BJP president said the party has recalibrated its campaign after failing to come to power in the 2021 assembly polls and is now banking on strengthening booth-level organisation, pushing a more “Bengal-centric” narrative, and cleansing electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which he believes could alter the electoral arithmetic.
He framed the 2026 assembly polls as a demographic turning point for the state.
“The census has not happened yet, but Mamata Banerjee herself said Muslims constitute around 33 per cent of the population. It could be 33–35 per cent. This percentage will increase in the next five years. After that, it will become very difficult for Hindus to win elections,” he said.
Majumdar claimed that the 2026 assembly polls could therefore be the “last election” where Bengali Hindus remain the deciding factor in the state’s electoral outcomes, if the TMC retains power.
“The TMC will gradually be forced to give more tickets to Muslims instead of Hindus due to the change in demography. You can already hear demands for a Muslim deputy CM. These demands will be fulfilled in future, and eventually that could lead to a Muslim chief minister,” he claimed.
Drawing a historical parallel, Majumdar referred to communal violence during the Partition and the Great Calcutta Killing when the Muslim League was in power.
The BJP has repeatedly alleged that demographic changes in border districts of West Bengal are altering the state’s political landscape — an argument the party has used to sharpen its campaign narrative ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
Muslims influence roughly one-third of the state’s assembly seats, creating a structural challenge for the BJP if the community votes overwhelmingly against it.
“It is not just about saving Bengali Hindus. It is about saving West Bengal from turning into Pakistan or Afghanistan. Only the BJP can save Bengal,” he said.
Majumdar added that the party was banking on consolidation among Bengali Hindu voters and growing disillusionment with the ruling TMC.
“Hindus now understand that if they want to survive in West Bengal, they must remove this government,” he said.
