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ISLAMABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing fresh allegations of post-election intimidation in West Bengal after Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders accused BJP-backed groups of burning homes and shops following the party&rsquo;s historic victory in the state. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee shared footage on X alleging that &ldquo;BJP-backed miscreants&rdquo; had set fire to the homes of party workers in the chief minister&rsquo;s district, leaving families devastated. The post added to a growing stream of claims that opposition supporters were being targeted after the BJP&rsquo;s takeover of the state. The allegations escalated after TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused BJP-linked attackers of torching more than 60 shops at Hijli Sharif in Khejuri&rsquo;s Nichkasba gram panchayat area in East Midnapore.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2053341938557079827&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a029064d74d2d3de9d512fab3e7fd84dd04700de&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 723px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>UNI reported that the shops belonged to both Hindu and Muslim owners, with Banerjee calling the incident an attempt to spread fear among ordinary people. The Statesman also reported Banerjee&rsquo;s accusation that the Khejuri attack was aimed at disrupting Bengal&rsquo;s social harmony. The BJP has denied involvement and sought an investigation, while the fire has become a flashpoint in the wider post-poll crisis. The violence has undercut BJP claims that its victory would bring stability to West Bengal. Reuters reported that hundreds of people were arrested after post-election violence killed at least three people, including an aide to a senior BJP leader. The Guardian reported that tensions remained high after more than 200 criminal cases and 433 arrests were recorded amid the unrest. The violence followed the BJP&rsquo;s defeat of Mamata Banerjee&rsquo;s long-ruling TMC, a result that expanded the party&rsquo;s dominance across much of India. The spread of arson, political killings and communal fears has cast a harsh light on India&rsquo;s ruling party and the political climate it has helped create.

India

BJP faces allegations of post-election intimidation in West Bengal after TMC leaders accused BJP-backed groups of arson, as wider unrest killed several people and triggered hundreds of arrests.

BJP accused of arson as post-poll violence spreads in West Bengal

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s opposition Congress party on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hypocrisy over the appointment of Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal&rsquo;s first BJP chief minister, while sharing an old video on social media in which Modi can be seen apparently criticizing Adhikari over alleged corruption. In a post on X, Congress shared a 2016 video and said that Modi himself had once accused Adhikari of corruption before the BJP appointed him in West Bengal. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2052964533329899784&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6b2a0ca9dd96fed6395b35ae83c901fee0efba2a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 945px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &quot;Shubendu Adhikari is so massively corrupt, and Narendra Modi is the one revealing it,&quot; the post said. &quot;Now, the same Shubendu Adhikari has been made the Chief Minister of West Bengal by Modi,&quot; Congress added, saying&nbsp;Modi&#39;s philosophy has spread corruption &quot;far and wide&quot;. Adhikari, once a senior leader in the Trinamool Congress (TMC), joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 West Bengal elections and became the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, The Economic Times reported on Friday. &lsquo;BJP acts as a washing machine&rsquo;: TMCJust last year, TMC accused BJP of acting as a &quot;washing machine&quot; for opposition politicians accused of corruption who later joined the ruling party. In an August 2025 media address following Modi&#39;s speech in Kolkata, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of giving &quot;shelter to the corrupt.&quot; Sharing the Narada sting video, in which several politicians, including Adhikari, were allegedly seen accepting cash in undercover recordings, Ghosh said &quot;Narendra Modi threw stones sitting in a glass house,&quot; The Times of India reported. &quot;The very ones you called corrupt now sit beside you&quot;, Ghosh added. The BJP has not officially responded to the Congress post.

Newly elected BJP Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari takes blessings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata, West Bengal, on May 9, 2026. (Photo: Screengrab/Reuters)

The opposition party has shared an old video of Narendra Modi allegedly targeting Suvendu Adhikari over corruption allegations, saying, "Now, the same Shubendu Adhikari has been made the Chief Minister of West Bengal by Modi." 

Congress accuses Modi of hypocrisy over West Bengal’s CM appointment

ISLAMABAD: Voting began on Thursday in two of India&rsquo;s most politically important opposition-held states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. But Bengal&rsquo;s first phase was overshadowed by claims that voter-roll deletions disproportionately hit Muslims and other marginalized groups, according to AP. In West Bengal, polling opened for 152 of the state&rsquo;s 294 assembly seats, while Tamil Nadu voted in a single phase for all 234 seats. Results in both states are due on May 4. BJP targets opposition strongholdsPrime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s BJP is trying to break into both opposition strongholds. In West Bengal, it is seeking to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee&rsquo;s Trinamool Congress, which won 213 seats in the 2021 election. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP remains a junior ally of the strongest regional party, AIADMK and has historically struggled to make significant gains. Voter roll purge under scrutinyIn Bengal, however, the most serious issue hanging over the vote is not just campaign rhetoric, but who has been allowed to vote at all. About 9 million names were removed from West Bengal&rsquo;s electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision, roughly 12% of the electorate. The Election Commission has said the exercise was meant to remove duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible voters, according to AP and other reports. Critics, however, say it has instead become a blunt instrument of disenfranchisement. Murshidabad fallout deepens alarmThe Wire reported from Murshidabad that the fallout extends far beyond the ballot box. Migrant laborers whose names were deleted are now trapped in what the report described as a no-man&rsquo;s land. Some workers said employers were demanding proof that they had voted in order to show they were not &ldquo;Bangladeshi.&rdquo; In border districts and Muslim-majority belts, the stigma attached to deletion has turned an administrative exercise into a threat to livelihood, dignity and belonging. The pattern has raised wider alarm because the exclusions appear to fall disproportionately on vulnerable communities. A data analysis by The Wire said Muslim-heavy constituencies, especially in the border belt, were disproportionately pushed into harsher scrutiny channels. AP also reported that opposition leaders accused the BJP of using the purge to suppress minority and dissenting votes. Security was tightened across Bengal, including at &ldquo;supersensitive&rdquo; polling stations and along the Bangladesh border. But the central question surrounding this election is not only whether voting will be peaceful. It is whether an election can be called fully democratic when millions arrived on polling day, already erased from the rolls.

Voting began in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, but Bengal’s first phase was overshadowed by claims that voter-roll deletions disproportionately affected Muslims and other marginalized groups, raising disenfranchisement concerns.

Elections in India begin amid voter purge controversy

Indian Home Minister interacts with poll worker after implementation of the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

Bengal’s Form-7 deletion electoral fight has escalated from the streets to the Supreme Court, amid multiple reports of electoral officials committing suicides.

Articles tagged with "West Bengal"

BJP accused of arson as post-poll violence spreads in West Bengal

Congress accuses Modi of hypocrisy over West Bengal’s CM appointment

Elections in India begin amid voter purge controversy

West Bengal voter-roll revision exercise turns into street battles, suicide crisis

BJP accused of arson as post-poll violence spreads in West Bengal