Purulia/New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that the TMC was indulging in infiltration that is altering West Bengal’s language and culture. In the same breath, launching a sharp attack on the ruling party in a rally in Purulia, he accused the Mamata Banerjee government of being “anti-tribal” and presiding over a regime of “Maha jungleraj”.
Modi sought to turn the BJP’s campaign in Junglemahal into a battle between what he called development and appeasement. He alleged that the TMC had ignored tribals, grabbed their land parcels and reduced the region to a “cycle of corruption, fear and underdevelopment”. “Due to infiltration, Bengal’s language and culture are witnessing a change,” Modi said, sharpening the BJP’s pitch on identity and demographic concerns just ahead of the first phase of voting on April 23.
Junglemahal spans the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, and Paschim Medinipur. The region caters to as many as 40 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats. While the BJP dominated these segments in the 2019 Lok Sabha race (leading in 31), the TMC staged a major comeback in 2024 winning 28 seats. Phase 1 voting, scheduled for April 23, 2026, covers major parts of the Junglemahal tribal belt. The Junglemahal districts collectively house more than 33% of West Bengal’s total tribal population, Santalis being the biggest group.
“The Santali language is being humiliated while a record budget is allocated for madrasa education. This is nothing but appeasement,” Modi said.
Calling the TMC “anti-tribal”, the Prime Minister claimed that districts with significant tribal population in Bengal lagged in terms of roads, drinking water, jobs and basic amenities. Modi alleged that tribal land parcels had been captured by the “TMC syndicate”, and claimed, “In TMC’s Maha jungleraj, no work can be done without paying TMC cut money.” He described the Mamata Banerjee government as a ‘nirmam sarkar’ (cruel government), which is interested only in “loot” and not in the welfare of tribals.
The Prime Minister alleged that both the Trinamool Congress and the Congress are anti-tribal, stating that they had fielded a candidate against President Droupadi Murmu during the Presidential elections.
“The TMC has not given anything except torture, loot, corruption and Maha jungleraj,” he said.
Modi said the people of Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram had once backed the BJP because they wanted “freedom from fear and extortion”.
He claimed that the mood in Purulia had turned decisively against the ruling party.
“The entire Purulia wants change and is saying ‘Paltano Darkar’ (change is needed),” he said, borrowing a Bengali slogan to underline what the BJP believes is “growing anger” against the TMC in western Bengal.
While the Kurmi community is currently classified as OBC, their intense movement for ST status is a major political issue. Parties that support or are seen to champion this cause stand to gain significant leverage, though it creates tension with existing ST groups like the Santhals. Issues of Jal, Jangal, Jameen (Water, Forest, Land) and the demand for the recognition of Sarna Religion remain central to the tribal political discourse, often used by parties to mobilize the Santhal vote.
Modi alleged that the TMC’s “corruption and atrocities” had terrorised the people of Bengal, but added that they now saw the BJP as the “only credible alternative” “Wherever atrocities reached their extreme, people chose the BJP as an alternative,” he said, asserting that the saffron party would form the next government in West Bengal with a “decisive mandate” in the upcoming assembly polls.
