Mamata vs Modi: Bengal’s Battle Intensifies

• By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
• Feb 22, 2026
• 944

Amid the turbulence sparked by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), West Bengal’s political landscape has entered a phase of heightened intensity. The state’s discourse is increasingly framed around the symbolism of the letter “M” — women, Muslims, mosques, temples, mutton, fish, money power, muscle power — and, above all, Mamata and Modi.

Much like Kolkata’s iconic football rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, Bengal’s politics has long been defined by sharp bipolarity. The Congress-versus-Left era gave way to the Left Front’s uninterrupted 34-year rule, which was decisively dismantled in 2011. Since then, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has governed for 15 years, with the past five witnessing an increasingly direct and polarised contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who breached the Left’s entrenched stronghold, continues to dominate the political arena with combative energy despite a decade and a half in office. For the TMC, her personal charisma, welfare initiatives such as Lakshmi Bhandaar, and consolidated minority support remain the pillars of its electoral calculus.

The BJP, in contrast, has marshalled the national appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a disciplined organisational structure, and the promise of a “double-engine” government. However, while it has emerged as the principal opposition with 77 Assembly seats, the party confronts the formidable challenge of nearly doubling its tally to secure power. The absence of a state-level leader with Mamata’s mass connect remains a critical structural limitation.

Meanwhile, the Left Front and the Congress, once formidable forces, are struggling to retain political relevance in an increasingly polarised landscape.

The Politics of the Street

In Bengal, political legitimacy is often forged on the streets before it is ratified at the ballot box. A senior journalist from a leading Bengali daily observes that electoral success in the state is inextricably linked to visible street mobilisation — and at present, Mamata Banerjee appears to command that space.

Yet, perspectives from the ground suggest a more complex reality. A young entrepreneur from Uttar Pradesh running a restaurant in Kolkata notes that although the BJP’s voter base has expanded over the past five years, the party must convincingly project the inevitability of regime change. Without that perception, support may not seamlessly translate into votes.

TMC: Revitalised Amid Adversity

The TMC faces significant headwinds. Corruption allegations, the arrest of ministers in recruitment scams, the cancellation of over 25,000 appointments, and growing anti-incumbency after 15 years in power present tangible political risks.

However, Mamata Banerjee’s assertive interventions — challenging Enforcement Directorate actions, pursuing legal remedies in the Supreme Court over SIR-related matters, and leading protests — have galvanised the party’s grassroots machinery. With elections merely months away, the TMC organisation appears energised, with Abhishek Banerjee overseeing strategic coordination and countering the BJP’s accusations.

BJP: Booth-Level Precision and National Leverage

The BJP has sharpened its campaign around issues of infiltration, corruption, and crimes against women. The Leader of the Opposition has maintained an aggressive street presence, while the state leadership seeks to consolidate support among the urban middle class and the Bengali intelligentsia.

Backed by high-profile visits from Prime Minister Modi and the Union Home Minister, the party has adopted a meticulous booth-level strategy. Senior leaders from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Uttarakhand have been deployed to individual constituencies to conduct door-to-door outreach and fortify grassroots networks.

As the electoral battle intensifies, Bengal’s contest appears less a conventional policy debate and more a struggle over narrative dominance, organisational resilience, and street supremacy. In a state where symbolism, perception, and mobilisation often outweigh arithmetic, the decisive question endures: who will command the road — and, ultimately, the mandate?