Will BJP’s infiltration card click in border districts?

BSF jawan on India-Bangladesh border. (File Image)

After Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi, the BJP made infiltration a major election issue and it worked, at least to some extent. Will it work in the 2026 West Bengal Elections too? Considering that eight districts in the state share borders with Bangladesh, it is natural that the saffron party has made infiltration a major issue. Maldah, Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts are home to more than 6 crore people spread across 128 assembly constituencies.

BJP infiltration problem Bengal

The most important factor for the BJP is the presence of a sizeable number of Muslim voters, ranging from 30% to 65% in over 90 seats. These areas are home to Matua, Dalit Hindus from Bangladesh, as well as Muslims who migrated from the neighboring country decades ago. The regions are a beautiful rainbow mix of Hindus and Muslims, Matuas, Bangals (those from Bangladesh) and Ghotis (local Bengalis). However, it is also vulnerable to polarization and division along social lines and can become a hotbed of ultra-nationalist discourses.

Amit Shah infiltration statement

In what could be called the launch of the election campaign, Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of helping infiltrators enter India for electoral interests. He warned that if the BJP wins the 2026 West Bengal Election and forms the government, no bird will be able to cross the border. “When our government led by Narendra Modi comes to power in Bengal, a strong national security network will be created that will completely end infiltration into Bengal. A network so strong that not only spies, not even a bird will be able to cross the border.” Strengthening the rhetoric further, he added: “The BJP government will not only stop the infiltration but will also work to identify and deport the intruders and expel them from India.”

The home minister also alleged that parts of the border remain unsecured due to the Mamata Banerjee government’s refusal to provide land to the Union government. “Without fencing along the border, infiltration cannot be stopped. Without fencing, BSF cannot prevent infiltration.” he said. He added: “At my level, I have written seven letters to Mamata Banerjee. The (Union) home minister visited Bengal three times and held meetings with the chief secretary (at the land along the border).”

Voting in border areas of Bangladesh

In the four districts of South Bengal along the Bangladesh border, there are a large number of people coming from across the border. Buoyed by the 77 seats won by the BJP in the 2020 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the saffron party is full of confidence this time. They want to increase the polarization of votes in border areas in order to get as many seats as possible. Rising tensions along the border and deteriorating India-Bangladesh relations will definitely impact the 2026 West Bengal Elections.

West Bengal Election 2026

On the other side of the spectrum are the Matua, a Dalit Hindu community who occasionally migrated from modern-day Bangladesh. They became targets of communal violence in Bangladesh. The Matua community suffered the most when Islamist elements forced Sheikh Hasina to flee the country and targeted her supporters, including Hindu minorities. They were attacked, killed, their women raped, their homes ransacked and burned, their temples destroyed and destroyed. The violence was paused for a while, but they are still the focus of radical forces.

The moot question is how do the issues of infiltration and social polarization affect the voting pattern in these two different parts of the same state? Elections may be held in March next year and by then a lot of water will flow from the Ganges.