Bharatiya Janata Party leader and West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Monday, 21 September expressed confidence over the upcoming bypolls in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies, saying people in the state already know the likely outcome of the elections. His remarks came from Siliguri ahead of the 6 October polling date.

Ghosh on the Bypolls

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said elections in Bengal are treated as a festive occasion, particularly by the media. He questioned the degree of attention given to a bye-election, suggesting there are larger national issues that deserve more focus.

'In Bengal, people take a lot of interest in every election, especially the media, which builds it up so much that it feels like a grand event, as if there are no other issues facing the country. There are no problems, which is why there is so much enthusiasm being shown for a bye-election. Everyone is treating it like a source of amusement while contesting the elections. Let them fight it out; elections are celebrated like a festival here, and everyone already knows what the final result will be,' he said.

Votes will be counted on 9 October, and the BJP has signalled it is approaching both seats with confidence.

Attack on Mamata Banerjee and the INDIA Alliance

Ghosh also turned his fire on All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, questioning her authority over her own party and her relevance to national opposition politics.

'Where is the alliance? Where did the INDIA Alliance go? Mamata Banerjee herself is lost. She claimed she created it, but now even her own party is not under her control — the party's account is gone, the party symbol is gone, the office is gone, and now even their candidates are gone. What credibility does such a leader have to stand against PM Modi? So, do not worry; the country is in strong hands, the country is moving forward, and the public is happy,' he said.

This comes amid an ongoing factional dispute within the TMC that has reportedly left the party's organisational machinery strained in parts of the state.

Dismissal of CPI(M) Vandalism Allegations

Reacting to reports of vandalism at Communist Party of India (Marxist) offices across West Bengal, Ghosh was dismissive, questioning whether the party retains any meaningful organisational presence.

'The CPI(M) has nothing left. They themselves commit acts of vandalism and stay in the news every day. Where is their office? They set up an office somewhere on a footpath, then their own people go and break it, and you make news out of it. It might be important for you, but not for us,' he said.

Defence of PM Modi's Leadership and Economic Record

Ghosh reserved particular emphasis for his defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting there was 'no question mark' over his leadership. He cited 7.8% GDP growth as evidence of economic resilience in a turbulent global environment.

'There is no question mark over PM Modi's leadership. The nation has repeatedly accepted and endorsed him, and today major global powers are inviting and placing him at the forefront,' he said.

He also claimed that while petrol and diesel prices surged in several countries amid global fuel market volatility over the past four to five years, the Indian government absorbed the financial burden to keep domestic prices stable. 'That is true leadership, and achieving 7.8 per cent GDP growth under such circumstances seemed nearly impossible, but PM Modi made it possible,' Ghosh said.

What to Watch

With polling just over two weeks away, the Nandigram seat carries particular symbolic weight — it was the constituency from which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself contested and narrowly won in 2021. The outcome of both seats is being closely watched as a barometer of the TMC's grassroots strength and the BJP's ability to mount a credible challenge in Bengal ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections.