West Bengal is set to become the fourth BJP-governed state to table a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill, with the Suvendu Adhikari-led government expected to introduce the legislation in the state assembly as early as next week. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, 28 June welcomed the development, framing it as the end of what it called the 'politics of appeasement' in a state that was ruled by the Left and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) for decades.

What the BJP Said

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, speaking to reporters ahead of the proposed UCC introduction, said the move would bring West Bengal in line with other BJP-governed states that have already moved on the legislation. 'We have already implemented it (UCC) in Assam and Uttarakhand. Following Gujarat, initiatives have now been taken in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal as well, because the politics of appeasement has completely ended in West Bengal,' Poonawalla said.

He also took aim at opposition groups resisting the UCC, alleging that an 'inflammatory bhaijaan committee' had emerged to thwart the bill and that such groups 'prioritise vote-bank politics over women's rights.'

Which States Have Already Moved on UCC

Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to pass a UCC law, doing so in February 2024. Gujarat and Assam have since introduced UCC bills in their respective assemblies. West Bengal, if it tables the bill next week, will be the fourth state to formally initiate the legislative process.

A BJP Poll Promise on the Line

The BJP had pledged during its West Bengal election campaign to implement the UCC within six months of coming to power. The Adhikari government is now reportedly setting up a committee to oversee the UCC roll-out, making this a direct test of that electoral commitment. Notably, this comes in a state where the party unseated the long-entrenched TMC — a politically significant backdrop for any legislation of this magnitude.

What the UCC Would Change

If enacted, the UCC would replace religion-based personal laws with a uniform set of rules governing marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance for all citizens, regardless of faith. Poonawalla argued that opposition parties — including the Indian National Congress (INC) — had historically contradicted themselves on the issue, pointing to the Shah Bano case, the Shayara Bano case, and the existing UCC in Goa, which Congress itself introduced. 'Whether it is Shah Bano case, Shayara Bano case, or the UCC, they oppose these measures. These are the very same people (Congress) who included this in the Constitution and introduced the UCC in Goa,' he said.

What Comes Next

The West Bengal assembly is expected to see the UCC bill tabled next week, after which it will go through standard legislative scrutiny. The formation of an implementation committee is also anticipated. How opposition parties — both within the assembly and outside — respond will shape the political temperature in the state in the weeks ahead.