A report published by Kolkata-based English daily The Telegraph on Monday, 13th April, claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed BJP leaders to launch an aggressive final push in West Bengal, based on internal surveys suggesting the party could cross the 100-seat mark in the 294-member Assembly.
What did The Telegraph report claim?
According to the report written by assistant editor of The Telegraph, JP Yadav, the BJP’s internal assessments indicate that the party could win between 115 and 125 seats, an improvement from earlier projections of around 100 seats. It further claimed that Shah believes a strong last-phase campaign could even help the party secure victory in the state, or at least significantly reduce the dominance of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The report also stated that the issues relating to illegal immigration from Bangladesh have started gaining traction among voters. Moreover, the Union Home Minister will be in Bengal for 15 days, trying to boost the morale of the cadre, addressing fears of post-poll violence, and targeting around 40 constituencies where the BJP lost narrowly in the last election.
Additionally, the report mentioned that senior leaders like Sunil Bansal, Bhupender Yadav, Biplab Kumar Deb and Nityanand Rai have been deployed for micro-level election management. It also referred to the BJP’s 2021 performance, where the party won 77 seats despite targeting 200.
BJP rejects report, calls it fake
However, the claims made in the report were strongly denied by the BJP’s West Bengal unit. The official handle BJP4Bengal shared a post on X on Monday, 13th April, calling the report misleading and baseless.
There is no such internal survey of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The overwhelming support for the BJP in West Bengal has clearly unnerved the Trinamool Congress, which is now planting such scurrilous stories to distract from the real issues.
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) April 13, 2026
This election is a direct contest… pic.twitter.com/LZSAzrBQ8v
In its post, the party said, “There is no such internal survey of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The overwhelming support for the BJP in West Bengal has clearly unnerved the Trinamool Congress, which is now planting such scurrilous stories to distract from the real issues.”
The statement further added, “This election is a direct contest between the people of West Bengal and the criminal Trinamool regime. The BJP remains confident of securing an absolute majority and forming the next government.”
