Sangh parivar leaders are set to organise around 2,000 processions in Bengal on April 6 to celebrate Ram Navami as the saffron ecosystem seeks to raise the Hindutva pitch ahead of the Assembly polls in 2026.

Since the BJP emerged as the main Opposition party in Bengal, Ram Navami celebrations have become a political event in the state's calendar. As the BJP has intensified its efforts to leverage the religious event to consolidate Hindu votes, the Trinamool Congress has also organised similar rallies in the past few years.

Although neither the BJP nor the RSS officially conducts processions or celebrations, prominent figures of the saffron camp actively participate in the events and play key roles in ensuring their success.

"This year, Bengal will witness an unprecedented celebration of Ram Navami with at least 2,000 rallies across the state. Until last year, most of the processions had been taken out in urban areas. This year, hundreds of Ram Navami rallies will take place in various blocks and rural pockets of Bengal," said an RSS source.

In 2024, around 1,000 Ram Navami marches were organised by Sangh leaders in the state.

According to the source, there will be at least 100 Ram Navami marches with over 25,000 participants each, and the turnout will exceed 35,000 in many places.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had earlier said that 50 lakh Hindus had taken part in Ram Navami celebrations last year and he expected the number to reach one crore in 2025.

This time, the saffron ecosystem has selected strategic locations for Ram Navami celebrations to consolidate Hindu voters with an eye on the 2026 Assembly polls. Unlike last year, the saffron camp has identified several key districts where the BJP believes the party can gain more support from Hindu voters compared to the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Hindus of Bengal organise Ram Navami celebrations, not the RSS. However, we will fully support them. From what we have observed, this year’s Ram Navami celebration will be significant in terms of rallies and participants," said Biplab Roy, state media coordinator of the RSS for south Bengal, in Calcutta.

Consolidating Hindu voters has become a strategic priority for the BJP to secure victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. Many senior BJP leaders believe that consolidating an additional 4-5 per cent of Hindu votes will help the party win more seats.

"When we analysed electoral data, it was found that even a small shift in Hindu voters from the TMC or the Left to the BJP could help us secure over 160 seats in Bengal, where 148 is the majority mark in the Assembly," said a senior BJP leader.

In 2021, the TMC obtained 47.9 per cent of the votes, while the BJP’s share was 38.14 per cent. In 2024, the TMC and the BJP’s vote shares were 45.77 per cent and 38.73 per cent, respectively.

Several much-hyped initiatives of the BJP to woo Hindu voters have failed because of a lack of coordination between BJP leaders and 43 frontal organisations of the RSS.

Efforts to bridge this gap accelerated after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s 10-day visit to Bengal last month. After the visit, a coordination meeting with BJP leaders and RSS frontal organisation leaders took place in Howrah's Uluberia.

Some BJP leaders believe violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh may influence the outcome of the 2026 elections, particularly in districts bordering the neighbouring nation.

Jishnu Basu, a publicity head of the RSS's eastern region, on Thursday held a press conference at Keshab Bhavan, the organisation's Bengal headquarters in Calcutta. He announced that the RSS had resolved to support the persecuted Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

"During the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), which concluded on March 17 in Bengaluru, the Sangh decided to extend all possible support to the oppressed Hindus in Bangladesh," said Basu.

However, TMC leaders believe the BJP’s Hindutva campaign would have minimal impact on the 2026 elections.

"We have no issue with Ram Navami celebrations. In fact, we appreciate it. But we strongly oppose BJP leaders like Suvendu Adhikari using the occasion to push divisive narratives. We advise BJP leaders to focus on securing central funds for Bengal’s development, instead of spending their time promoting divisions among the people," said Tanmoy Ghosh, a TMC general secretary.