Mamata says she wants the "complete dismantling" of the BJP in Delhi; Union home minister Amit Shah brushed off her remarks with a laugh, Photo: X/ANI screengrab, Mamata Banerjee
Mamata vows to 'take over Delhi' after Bengal win; Amit Shah is amused
West Bengal chief minister, campaigning in Chowringhee, declared she would rally Opposition parties to dismantle BJP in Delhi after securing victory in the state
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee turned up the heat during campaigning in the Chowringhee constituency, delivering one of her most combative speeches in this 2026 West Bengal election.
"I was born in Bengal, and I shall breathe my last in this very Bengal. I will take over Delhi once I have secured victory in Bengal," she said, addressing supporters at a rally for the Trinamool Congress candidate.
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"I won't want the seat of power; I want the complete dismantling of the BJP in Delhi. While their destruction in Bengal is inevitable, the BJP must be ousted from Delhi as well," she said, promising to unite Opposition parties for the national fight.
Warning to BJP workers
Mamata also issued a pointed warning to those working for the BJP, saying she had noted down names.
"You think you can keep tabs on us? Every single person you have inducted, you brought them into the BJP fold only after scrutinising their family backgrounds, and you have appointed officers based on that very same criterion," she said.
Shah laughs it off
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Amit Shah, who is also campaigning in Kolkata, dismissed her remarks. "There is nothing left here. How will she come to Delhi? What should I say?" he said, brushing aside Mamata's remarks with a laugh.
A fierce battle over SIR
Mamata was campaigning for TMC candidate Nayna Bandopadhyay, a two-time sitting MLA contesting against BJP's Santosh Pathak in Chowringhee, when she spoke of ousting BJP from Delhi. According to political observers, the TMC chief has been particularly combative this election season, with her grievances largely centred around the Special Investigation Revision (SIR) of voters list in Bengal.
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Bengal's first phase of polling concluded on April 23 with a striking voter turnout of 92 per cent. The second phase is scheduled for April 29.