Kolkata, March 15 With the election season in West Bengal officially underway, several issues are expected to dominate the political campaigns in the coming weeks.
SIR/Citizenship concerns: The publication of post-SIR electoral rolls has triggered a significant pre-election development in the state, as the revision removed nearly 63.66 lakh names from the voter list ahead of the assembly polls.
With the electorate shrinking from 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore, this has dramatically altered the state's electoral landscape and introduced a new element of political uncertainty as the campaign season begins.
Apart from the deletions, around 60.06 lakh additional names are under review, indicating that the voter list remains fluid even as political parties prepare for the polls.
This has forced parties to reassess their strategies at the local level, particularly in districts with a large number of deletions.
The deletions are also concentrated in several border districts and urban areas – areas that are politically sensitive.
Infiltration: During a rally in the Muslim-majority border district of Malda on January 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made infiltration a central plank of his campaign against the TMC government, alleging large-scale illegal migration, riots, and the ruling party's "patronage and syndicate raj". This clearly indicated that the BJP would prioritize the "ghoospetiya" issue in its election campaigns.
Amidst this charged pre-poll atmosphere, fueled by the controversial "roll-cleansing" exercise, the saffron camp has made efforts to justify the process by identifying "Bangladeshis and Rohingyas" on this side of the border.
During one of his recent visits, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reinforced the BJP's pitch on infiltration, stating that while "only names of infiltrators are being deleted now," they would be "removed" once the party comes to power in the state. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of facilitating infiltration for electoral gain.
The TMC, on the other hand, has dismissed the process as a politically motivated exercise lacking truth and reality, aimed at targeting Muslim citizens of the state.
Corruption: Allegations of corruption by opposition parties against the TMC continue to dominate West Bengal's political landscape, with the school jobs scam taking center stage.
The Supreme Court had, in April 2025, cancelled appointments of over 25,000 candidates as teachers and staff recruited by the state School Service Commission due to irregularities in the recruitment process.
Religion and Polarization: As the election campaign gains momentum, political observers expect heightened communal rhetoric and identity-driven mobilization, with religion emerging as a key factor in the electoral narrative.
Bengal, where electoral discourse historically remained relatively insulated from overt communal politics, has gradually been drawn into sharper ideological contestation between the TMC and the BJP.
Both parties have accused each other of encouraging polarization. The BJP alleges minority appeasement by the ruling party, while the TMC counters by accusing its rival of attempting to divide communities along religious lines.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming elections could witness a more pronounced communal divide in certain regions, particularly in districts with mixed demographics.
Political analysts say that the interplay between religious polarization, the SIR-related voter churn, and the anxieties of communities such as the Matuas could shape the tone and trajectory of the campaign in the months ahead.
Law and Order/ Women's Safety: The issue of law and order, particularly those related to women's safety, has emerged as a key political flashpoint in Bengal, drawing sharp reactions from both the ruling establishment and the opposition.
Official data cited by the government indicates that several initiatives, including dedicated women police stations, increased night patrolling, and helplines, have been introduced to improve safety. However, incidents like the rape-murder of a medical intern at RG Kar hospital and the alleged gang rape of a student inside the South Calcutta Law College premises have led opposition parties to argue that incidents of assault, harassment, and trafficking continue to spike in the state.
The TMC won 215 seats in the 294-member Bengal assembly in 2021, up from its 2016 performance, while the BJP won 77 seats, a significant increase from its previous count.
Currently, following multiple defections, resignations, and bypolls, the TMC has 223 members in the assembly, including one from the Darjeeling-based Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee remains an Independent MLA.
The BJP's numbers in the state assembly currently stand at 64, primarily due to defections to the TMC. The Indian Secular Front and the newly formed Aam Janata Unnayan Party each hold one seat. Three seats remain vacant due to the deaths of sitting MLAs.