Close Contests, Big Stakes: BJP Plans Bengal Comeback In 70 Tight Races
These 70 seats fall under different Lok Sabha constituencies where the party trailed by not more than 15,000 votes, according to the 2024 Lok Sabha results
With the assembly election barely seven to eight months away in West Bengal, the BJP has agreed on a strategy based on which it will launch its initial groundwork to emerge victorious in the state.
The party has zeroed in on 70 crucial seats that it must win if it is serious about ousting Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the state in 2026, BJP sources told News18.
These 70 seats fall under different Lok Sabha constituencies where the party trailed by not more than 15,000 votes, according to the 2024 Lok Sabha results. The understanding is that these seats, or most of them, can swing the BJP's way if the party puts the right effort.
In 49 out of 70 seats, BJP trailed by less than 10,000 votes. These include constituencies like Naba Dwip, Nakashipara, Sonarpur South, Barrackpore, Dum Dum North, Jagatdal, Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Barasat, Asansol North, and Kolkata-based seats like Rashbehari, Bhabanipur, Kashipur-Belgachia, Maniktala and others.
In the remaining 21 seats, the BJP was behind by 10,000-15,000 votes. The list includes constituencies such as Hingalganj, Basirhat South, Howrah North, Shibpur, Kalna, Katwa, Suri, Kolkata's Chowringhee among others.
According to sources, in a recently held closed-door strategy meeting, BJP leaders agreed that if campaigning starts with immediate effect and all booth committees are made functional in these 70 seats, the party has a real chance to reap the benefits of anti-incumbency.
'Though there are 92 assembly seats where we have data that shows BJP was ahead of its nearest rival political party in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, many of these seats are traditionally BJP's strongholds. So, the primary goal is not to go for retaining the seats but to ensure the party wins the 70 seats where we were marginally behind. That will change the game," said a BJP state executive committee member.
In the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, the BJP won 77 seats out of 294, while TMC secured a landslide majority with 213 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, the BJP won 12 out of the 42 parliamentary seats. This was a decrease from the 18 seats it had secured in the 2019 general elections. The TMC won 29.
view comments
First Published:
July 30, 2025, 11:55 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
12 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
'Will expose BJP's true face...': Mamata Banerjee threatens to take issue of 'persecution of Bengalis' at global forums
"If they remove the names of genuine Bengalis from the electoral rolls, I will travel the world and expose their (BJP's) true faces," Banerjee warned.
The Hindu
12 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rewriting the rules of school in Andhra Pradesh
The Telugu Desam Party-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh is revisiting the education sector reforms introduced by its predecessor and is making changes wherever deemed necessary. Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh has stated that policies yielding positive outcomes will be retained, while those that failed to deliver tangible results will be rolled back. The task being both critical and challenging, the Minister is taking an objective and balanced view of the educational landscape, recognising that the well-being and future of students must remain at the heart of the new initiatives. Officials in the education department are assessing what has worked, what needs improvement, and how best to move forward without causing inconvenience to stakeholders. The task at hand is to cater to the needs of 58,535 schools, 68,15,925 students, and 3,13,112 teachers across the State. Of these, 44,285 are government schools with 33,37,762 students and 1,84,898 teachers; 789 are aided schools with 87,612 students and 3,259 teachers; 13,461 private schools with 33,90,551 students and 1,24,955 teachers. According to Mr. Lokesh, the TDP government inherited an education system in a state of paralysis, lacking essential frameworks and operational efficiency — a charge refuted by the YSR Congress Party, which has accused him of 'systematically weakening the education sector in the State.' The data show that the State has 12,512 single-teacher schools, 5,312 government schools with single-digit enrolment, and 14,052 State-run schools with 20 or fewer students. The overall enrolment in government schools declined by 10,49,596 students between 2022 and 2024. With declining learning outcomes, the government faces the formidable challenge of reversing the trend to secure children's futures. A recent survey suggested that 84.3% of Class III students could not read a Class-II level text, 62.5 % of Class V students struggled with basic reading, 47% of Class VIII students still could not read Class II level text, 59.1 % of Class III students could not perform basic subtraction, 54.8 % of Class VIII students could not perform division and only 12.9% and of Class III students could solve basic division problems. Citing the dismal result of the survey, Mr. Lokesh has rolled back his predecessor's initiatives such as transition of the government schools to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 2022-23 without sufficient preparation, implementation of TOEFL in State-run schools at a cost of ₹58.84 crore, and the move to adopt International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum in government schools. A sum of Rs. 4.86 crore was paid for just the interim report for the proposed IB implementation. One of the most controversial decisions of the previous YSRCP government was GO 117, which reorganised schools and reapportioned teaching staff. The order divided schools into six categories and mandated the merger and de-merger of classes. The fragmentation of schools led to the number of schools having fewer than 10 students rising from 1,215 in 2021-22 to 5,312 in 2024-25, and schools with fewer than or equal to 20 students increasing from 5,520 to 14,052 during the same period, indicating a severe decline in student enrolment. To curb the ill effects of GO 117, the NDA government introduced GO 21, which revises the restructuring model by creating nine categories of schools. However, this faced trouble, with teacher unions raising serious concerns over its 'negative impact on the public education system'. GO 21 is part of the transformative journey called Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh, which aims to improve access, learning outcomes, and future-ready skills. The recently concluded 'Mega' DSC (District Selection Committee) exam, conducted to recruit 16,347 teachers in government schools after a gap of seven years, enhanced the government's image. Other welcomed steps include the introduction of academic star ratings to assess both student and teacher performance, targeted efforts to boost school enrolment in rural and tribal areas, and the consolidation of multiple teacher apps into a single platform. In intermediate education, curriculum and textbook revisions for first-year students are being implemented from the current academic year, aligning with the syllabus with national competitive standards. The revisions would be introduced for second-year students from the academic year 2026-27. The reach of the changes being made is very vast, and resistance to change is natural in large systems, especially when previous reforms are still being digested. The government should remain watchful of implementation gaps that often emerge. Due diligence is key to ensuring that the quality of learning improves without sacrificing stability.
India Today
12 minutes ago
- India Today
Will protect them: Mamata Banerjee backs officers after poll body crackdown
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India and the BJP following the suspension of four officials over alleged discrepancies in the electoral roll during the ongoing voter list revision. At a rally in Jhargram, she assured support for the suspended officials, saying that her government will "protect them," while questioning the legal basis of the are saying FIRs will be filed. This will not happen. I will not allow this. There is no need to be afraid. They are threatening officers and police. It is our responsibility to protect you. We will give our lives to keep you safe. Do not worry or be hopeless," she said."In the name of the voter list, the BJP wants to form a party list. Not a single name should be removed. Forget the party or political party, you must protect your own identity," she added. The poll body suspended the officials for allegedly sharing login credentials and making wrongful additions to the electoral rolls in Baruipur Purba and Moyna constituencies. An FIR is set to be filed as tensions rise over the integrity of the electoral the crowd, West Bengal Chief Minister accused the BJP of using the voter list revision to manipulate electoral outcomes. "The BJP has decided to remove names from the voter list to win elections. This is a ploy by the BJP," she her speech, Mamata Banerjee slammed what she alleged was the BJP's influence over the poll body, claiming the suspensions were politically motivated. "Are you acting as Amit Shah's agents?" she asked, slamming the central poll body and the BJP West Bengal Chief Minister criticised the treatment of Bengali communities in BJP-ruled states, specifically targeting the Assam government. "Without Bengal, neither India nor the world can move forward," she Chief Minister's comments come amidst concerns about the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Banerjee has, time and again, accused the BJP of trying to disenfranchise Bengali and minority voters ahead of the Bengal Assembly elections.- EndsTune InMust Watch
