Bengal BJP chief president Samik Bhattacharya claimed that the 2026 Assembly election in the state would be the “last election” for Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee as a chief minister.
He asserted that after the polls, the BJP would ensure she is “confined to the Opposition benches.”
Bhattacharya, who reached Siliguri on Saturday, said: “The upcoming Assembly polls in Bengal will be the last election of Mamata Banerjee as a chief minister. We will see her in the Opposition.”
He was in Siliguri to attend Rozgar Mela 2.0, a job fair hosted by the Darjeeling Welfare Society, founded by former diplomat and the BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of the event, the BJP state president said that people in Bengal had become aware of what he described as “anarchy, absolute lawlessness, and the breakdown of constitutional machinery” under the Trinamool regime.
“That is why they want to get rid of the Trinamool. The ongoing SIR will not influence the elections, because this time the election will be between the people of Bengal and the Trinamool, whom they have decided to uproot,” Bhattacharya said.
Asked about the results of the Assembly elections in Bihar, where the BJP-led NDA secured a decisive majority over the RJD–Congress-backed Mahagathbandhan, the state BJP chief was dismissive of political opponents.
“In Bihar, the people have rejected the 'Tej (vigour)' of Tejashwi Yadav. Trinamool will be ousted from Bengal in the upcoming polls in a similar manner. The Congress, on the other hand, lacks a basic support base and is knocking on the doors of every regional party for its survival,” he said.
Job fair
The two-day Rozgar Mela 2.0 commenced at the campus of the Salesian College in Siliguri on Saturday.
According to organisers, the job fair received an overwhelming response on the first day, with thousands of participants and 60 reputed companies— including healthcare, aviation, and hospitality sectors — taking part in the event.
The fair, which will end on Sunday, aims to boost employment opportunities in north Bengal.
“The response on Day 1 demonstrates that the youth of our region are actively seeking structured and credible pathways to employment. By bringing together leading companies under one platform, Rozgar Mela 2.0 is helping bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. The initiative is also encouraging the participation of local companies, giving them a broad platform to hire, grow, and contribute to the regional economy,” said Shringla, president of the Darjeeling Welfare Society, which hosted the fair.
“We are expecting a larger turnout tomorrow as companies are continuing their recruitment drive,” he said.