Kolkata, April 24 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah sharply rebuked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday, calling his acknowledgment of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's alleged corruption as a driver of BJP's rising electoral fortunes in West Bengal a case of "realisation that came far too late." Shah made the remarks exclusively to IANS during a campaign roadshow ahead of the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections.

Shah's Sharp Response to Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi, in a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), had stated: "If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had run a clean government and had not polarised Bengal, then the BJP would not have got a chance." The statement was widely seen as an indirect indictment of the TMC-led state government.

Responding pointedly, Shah told IANS: "It has been realised very late." The remark was calculated — drawing attention to what the BJP frames as years of governance failures under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, including allegations of syndicate corruption, post-poll violence, and administrative misuse, which the party has consistently used as campaign ammunition.

Notably, this is not the first time opposition leaders have implicitly conceded ground on TMC's governance record. Congress and Left Front leaders have previously flagged corruption under the Banerjee administration, though rarely as directly as Gandhi's latest remarks.

Shah's Confidence in BJP's West Bengal Victory

Shah expressed strong confidence that BJP candidate and Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari would defeat Chief Minister Banerjee in the high-stakes Bhabanipur constituency by a "large majority."

He further claimed that the anti-incumbency wave against the TMC supremo has "almost doubled" compared to the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, where the BJP had won 77 seats but fell short of the majority mark of 148 in the 294-seat assembly.

"This time we are moving towards forming the government with a massive majority," Shah declared, signalling the party's intent to push beyond its 2021 performance.

Earlier, Shah had also issued a stern warning on X to TMC-affiliated individuals allegedly attempting to disrupt polling, stating: "I tell the goons, don't come out in the second phase either, or else I'll hang you upside down and straighten you out." The remark drew both attention and controversy, underscoring the charged atmosphere surrounding the elections.

AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Defect to BJP — Shah Reacts

Coinciding with Shah's West Bengal campaign activities was one of the day's most seismic political developments — the mass resignation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members from the Rajya Sabha, led by recently-removed Deputy Leader Raghav Chadha.

Chadha and six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs announced they were merging their parliamentary faction with the BJP, citing the AAP "stepping away from honest politics" as the primary reason. The defection is significant given that AAP holds 10 seats in the Upper House, making this a near-total collapse of its Rajya Sabha presence.

Shah, commenting on the development, acknowledged that the AAP MPs' decision was driven by multiple reasons cited by them, without elaborating further. The defecting MPs later met BJP National President Nitin Nabin at the party's national headquarters, formalising their shift.

The irony is stark: AAP, which built its identity on an anti-corruption platform, is now seeing its own parliamentarians accuse the party of abandoning that very founding principle — a narrative BJP is certain to amplify in upcoming electoral contests, particularly in Delhi and Punjab.

Broader Political Implications

The twin developments — Rahul Gandhi's indirect validation of BJP's anti-TMC narrative and the AAP exodus — hand the ruling party a significant messaging advantage at a critical juncture in the election cycle.

For West Bengal, the BJP's strategy has consistently centred on framing the contest as a referendum on TMC's governance. Gandhi's remarks, regardless of intent, inadvertently reinforced that frame. Political analysts note that such inter-opposition contradictions often benefit the party in power nationally, as they signal a fragmented alternative.

The Bhabanipur seat, where CM Banerjee is contesting, remains a prestige battle. A loss there would be historically unprecedented for a sitting Bengal Chief Minister and could trigger significant political realignment within the state.

As polling progresses through subsequent phases, the spotlight will remain on voter turnout figures, the effectiveness of central security deployment, and whether BJP can convert its claimed anti-incumbency wave into actual seat gains beyond its 2021 tally.