West Bengal BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, 10 May, declaring her political era in the state over and asserting that no alliance could bring her back to power. Bhattacharya's remarks came a day after Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister of West Bengal, marking a historic shift in the state's political landscape.

Bhattacharya's Remarks on Mamata Banerjee

Commenting on Banerjee's future political relevance, Bhattacharya said she was free to travel wherever she wished — but her political chapter in West Bengal had effectively closed. "She can go to the Moon, she can go to Antarctica, she is free to go anywhere; it is her vacation," he said, in a pointed remark aimed at the former Chief Minister.

The Bengal BJP chief framed the party's rise not as a sudden electoral victory but as the culmination of decades of struggle. "Every worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, carrying the BJP flag, had this dream in their hearts that a government inspired by Syama Prasad Mukherjee should be formed in the land of Syama Prasad Mukherjee," Bhattacharya said.

Sacrifice of Workers and the Road to Power

Bhattacharya underscored the human cost of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ascent in the state. "We have come to power walking over the sacrifice and blood of 321 workers who lost their lives," he said, invoking the names of party workers who reportedly died during years of political violence in the state. The reference to Syama Prasad Mukherjee — the BJP's ideological forefather and a Bengal icon — was a deliberate attempt to anchor the party's victory in the state's own political heritage.

Warning Against Lawlessness and TMC Disruption

Bhattacharya did not limit his remarks to celebrating the win. He issued a pointed warning to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers and others against attempting to destabilise the new political order. "We also have many challenges, as many people became part of the BJP within just four hours," he acknowledged, in what appeared to be a veiled reference to opportunistic defections.

"We want to tell TMC people not to try to create such an atmosphere. Power has changed hands now. No one will be spared. Anyone indulging in hooliganism will be sent to jail," he said. The warning signals that the new BJP administration intends to take a firm stance on law and order from the outset.

Allegations of Out-of-State Campaigning

In a separate allegation, Bhattacharya claimed that workers from Uttar Pradesh linked to the Samajwadi Party had been involved in campaigning activities in West Bengal in support of the TMC. "A source linked to the Samajwadi party told me... elections in Bengal have already been completed, and elections are also due in Uttar Pradesh. In what manner some people from Uttar Pradesh were coming to Bengal to support TMC…" he said, without providing further specifics. The claim has not been independently verified.

A New Chapter in Bengal Politics

The political context for Bhattacharya's remarks is significant. Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister on Saturday, 9 May, alongside members of his Council of Ministers — ending what had been more than a decade of Trinamool Congress rule in the state. This represents one of the most consequential electoral shifts in West Bengal's recent political history, a state that had long been considered a TMC stronghold. How the new BJP government manages governance, political reconciliation, and law and order will define its credibility in the months ahead.