The BJP is confident of winning Bengal but says it is haunted by the spectre of post-verdict violence, which Amit Shah wants to prevent.

A party source said the Union home minister, who is likely to arrive in Bengal after the announcement of the election results on May 4, would monitor the situation to avoid a 2021 rerun.

Shah has already announced that the central forces would remain in Bengal for two months after the election results to prevent post-poll violence.

“Amit Shahji had sent his deputy and Union minister of state, Nityananda Rai, to Bengal to oversee the situation even before the exit poll predictions came,” a senior BJP leader said.

He said the party’s Bengal poll manager and Union minister Bhupender Yadav would arrive in Calcutta by May 2.

Apart from administrative vigilance, he said, Shah had asked party workers and leaders to refrain from violence during victory celebrations.

“The party’s Bengal minder, Sunil Bansal, will hold several meetings with BJP functionaries over the next two days to tell the workers that it would be their responsibility to reflect the BJP’s image and send out a message that the party does not believe in violence,” the leader added.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya too made the party’s stance against violence clear.

“We want to ensure that what happened to our workers and supporters in 2021 does not happen to anyone this time. We are afraid that TMC workers will attack their own party workers once the BJP wins this election,” he said.

Bhattacharya added: “We want the people of Bengal to taste the change we shall bring from Day One once we come to power.”

“We will also request governor R.N. Ravi to ensure robust security arrangements during the crucial period between the declaration of results and the formation of the government.”

After the results of the previous election were announced on May 2, 2021, the state witnessed widespread violence. The BJP claims more than 50 of its workers were killed, women were raped and a large number of party workers had to flee their homes for months. Trinamool says its workers too were attacked and killed.

Both the BJP and Trinamool have issued warnings to each other’s alleged goons over what might happen after the results are declared on May 4.

Shah has warned that Trinamool goons will be “hung upside down and straightened out”. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has in a veiled threat said the party would play “DJ” in some places instead of “Rabindrasangeet” on May 4.

Leaders in both parties claim these statements are meant only to boost party workers’ morale, but such remarks can have an impact on the ground, particularly among grassroots cadres.

Birbhum was one of the districts worst hit by post-poll violence in 2021. A large number of BJP workers there faced attacks, a BJP leader said.

“So, they may seek revenge. Our challenge is to prevent that,” he said.

“Our confidence is not because of the exit poll predictions. We have already informed our party workers why we are confident of victory. So, we are preparing for May 4, assuming we will win. In such a scenario, preventing post-poll violence will be an acid test for Amitji.”

What happens if the party loses the election?

“In case the party fails, it will be an even bigger responsibility for Amit Shahji to ensure that party workers are protected. That is why he has already announced that the central forces will remain in Bengal for the next two months,” the leader said.

“However, if the party wins, it will be its duty to prevent violence, as the BJP wants to erase the culture of political violence from Bengal.”