Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 8 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a gathering in Kolkata on Friday, hailed the BJP's electoral performance in West Bengal, while launching sharp attacks on the opposition, including the Congress and the ruling dispensation in the state.
Shah said the mandate reflects people's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's governance model, while also asserting that the party's goal of "Sonar Bangla" remains central to its political mission in the state.

Drawing a larger ideological picture, he said, "Today's victory in Bengal is extremely significant from many perspectives. After a 100-year ideological journey, today, from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar, BJP governments have been formed everywhere."
Recalling past electoral contests, Shah praised Adhikari's performance in defeating TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in her home constituency of Bhabanipur, adding, "I want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of Bhabanipur. Shubendu Da had defeated Didi in the Nandigram constituency in the last election... Didi, this time Shubendu Da has defeated you in your own home."
Highlighting the BJP's growth in the state, Shah said, "Our journey from 3 seats to 77, and now to 207 seats, has been truly unprecedented. Out of 23 administrative districts, there are nine where Didi has not even managed to open an account--she has been completely wiped out."
Referring to Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Shah said, "On the very soil of Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee... today in 2026, a government of his very own party is being formed."
Speaking about the political environment in Bengal, Shah said, "The atmosphere that existed in Bengal during the Communist era has only worsened under Mamata ji, turning into one dominated by fear. Freedom of expression had become virtually impossible. Despite numerous instances of violence and brutality, the people have given a strong mandate to the BJP and PM Modi, for which I am deeply grateful."
He further said the mandate goes beyond politics, adding, "The importance of this victory isn't limited to the expansion of BJP or our ideology... It is that it filled the biggest gap in national security. BJP promised the people of Bengal that we would identify infiltrators and remove them not only from West Bengal but from the entire country."
Emphasising the party's responsibilities, Shah stated, "It is the responsibility of all BJP workers that we move forward with the goal of Sonar Bangla and fully meet the expectations of the people of Bengal."
Attacking the Congress party over repeated electoral losses and allegations on EVMs, Shah said, "Congress has struggled to win elections in many regions for several years... Rahul Gandhi ji has tried to sling mud--sometimes at EVMs, sometimes at the voter list, and sometimes at the EC."
He added, "In Tamil Nadu, your party hasn't been able to form a government since 1967... In West Bengal for 49 years... If all of this is vote theft, then the vote thieves are sitting with you (with Rahul Gandhi)."
Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the name of Suvendhu Adhikari as the party's leader after chairing a party meeting in Kolkata today.
He is set to take the oath tomorrow on the day which marks the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
Adhikari contested from Nandigram and Bhabhanipur, beating outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from her stronghold in Bhabanipur by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
BJP has won 207 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.