In Medinipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his criticism of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections approach. He claimed the TMC is diverting reservation benefits meant for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to favor its Muslim supporters.
Speaking at large gatherings in Medinipur and Jhargram, Modi described the TMC’s approach as unconstitutional politics based on religion, which he said harms ordinary citizens and women.
He asserted that the TMC has redirected OBC quotas to Muslims, violating constitutional principles and judicial decisions.
Modi stated that reservations based on religion are being used to secure votes, with the TMC taking OBC benefits and assigning them to Muslims, contrary to legal standards. He urged women to hold the TMC accountable in the upcoming elections.
The Prime Minister further charged that the TMC prioritizes its voter base and unauthorized entrants over the broader population.
He highlighted recent parliamentary events exposing the TMC’s stance against women. A debate on providing 33 percent seats for women in national and state legislatures occurred, but the TMC blocked the measure.
Modi intensified his critique regarding the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament. The legislation sought to introduce 33 percent women’s reservation by the 2029 elections, based on 2011 census figures, but it did not achieve the required two-thirds support.
He told the Jhargram audience that the TMC used various tactics to prevent women in Bengal from advancing. He called on Bengal’s women to respond to this injustice.
This criticism arises amid tensions between the government and opposition following the bill’s defeat. The proposal aimed to enact 33 percent women’s reservation by 2029 using 2011 data for redistricting, but it fell short of the needed majority.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, approved in 2023, linked implementation to a future census and boundary adjustments. Opposition groups accused the bill of attempting to alter electoral boundaries and pushed for the 2023 law’s activation without such conditions.
In reaction, top BJP figures, including Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, labeled opposition parties as opposing women’s interests.
Attacking the party led by Mamata Banerjee on women’s quotas, Modi declared that the anti-women TMC should be removed from office. He emphasized that ensuring rights, safety, and economic prospects for Bengal’s women is a key BJP goal.
At the Jhargram event, he claimed the BJP sought to enable women to gain from reservations starting in 2029, but the TMC resisted it in Parliament.
Modi said the BJP aimed for women to access reservations from 2029, yet the women-opposing TMC fought against it using deceptive methods to block 33 percent of Bengal’s women from becoming legislators. He reiterated that Bengal’s women should penalize the TMC for this.
The West Bengal Assembly polls will occur in two stages on April 23 and 29, with results announced on May 4.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeks a fourth term in a row, while the BJP, which won 77 seats last time, is striving to take control of the state. (With agency inputs)
