In this image posted on May 8, 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, West Bengal Chief Minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari, BJP leaders Samik Bhattacharya and Biplab Kumar Deb and others after the BJP Legislature Party meeting, in Kolkata.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (May 8, 2026) said the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal Assembly election was not only significant from electoral and ideological points of view, but from the aspect of national security as well. The victory plugs “one of the biggest holes” in national security, he said.

“We now have governments in Assam, Tripura and Bengal. Infiltration and cattle-smuggling will become impossible. The Central and State governments will work together to turn the border into an ‘impenetrable fortress’ for national security,” Mr. Shah said, addressing newly elected legislators of the BJP in Kolkata.

West Bengal government formation LIVE – May 8, 2026

The BJP leadership had highlighted illegal infiltration from Bangladesh as a major issue in the Assembly election. India shares a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, of which more than half — 2,216 km — lies in West Bengal, while Tripura shares an 856-km border and Assam a 267-km border with the country.

During his address, the Home Minister, who presided over the BJP Legislature Party meeting, emphasised that the victory was not only about the BJP’s expansion and about the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance forming a government in its 21st State. “The BJP promises the people of Bengal and the country that we will identify and remove every infiltrator from India. And let me say from this stage — people who call this polarisation are mistaken. This is not about polarisation. This is about national security,” Mr. Shah said.

“The biggest importance of this victory is that it plugs one of the biggest holes in India’s national security. Now, infiltration and cow-smuggling will become impossible in West Bengal,” Mr. Shah asserted.

The Home Minister, who led the party’s election campaign in West Bengal along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also spoke about the ideological significance of the victory.

“The victory in West Bengal is significant because after 100 years of ideological continuity, we have a government from every State from Gangotri to Gangasagar. I feel that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee would bless the Narendra Modi government from where he is now,” he said.

Mookerjee, founder of the Jana Sangh, the ideological precursor of the BJP, hailed from West Bengal. “The ideological journey that began in 1950 under the leadership of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee has, in 2026, finally brought his party to power in his own birthplace. This is deeply significant,” Mr. Shah said.

The Home Minister also referred to the 150th year of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Vande Mataram, saying the BJP forming government on the novelist’s State was “a huge sign”.

Reflecting on the party’s journey in West Bengal, Mr. Shah said while it was a three-MLA party in 2016, it won 77 seats in 2021 and 207 in 2026. “I cannot forget that 321 BJP party workers had to lay down their lives for this journey of West Bengal BJP. I have travelled all across the country, but have never seen such violence except in Kerala and West Bengal,” he added.

The Home Minister said that the average margin of victory of BJP legislators was 28,000 votes and in nine of the 23 districts, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party drew a blank.

“I have never seen such a mandate, particularly when the party is in Opposition. West Bengal has witnessed 93% voting and no allegation of booth capturing was made even by the Trinamool Congress. I want to thank the voters of Bhabanipur, where Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in her bastion,” he added.

Mr. Adhikari was appointed as the leader of BJP Legislature Party on Friday in presence of the Union Home Minister. He will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the State on May 9 at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds.

The Home Minister also appealed to all the other political parties urging them to put an end to political and electoral violence. “It is the responsibility of the BJP government to ensure that there is no violence or irregularities in elections in West Bengal in future,” he said.

Published – May 08, 2026 12:19 pm IST