Kolkata: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP will form the government in West Bengal after the 2026 assembly elections, citing the party’s steady vote share of 30-40% since 2019 and the need for just a 10% increase to unseat the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Pradhan accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of obstructing central projects while falsely blaming the Centre for neglecting the state. He cited the stalled extension of a 710-km gas pipeline connecting Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal as an example, claiming the state government refused to provide land for the project.
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Pradhan also criticized the TMC for its lack of cooperation in railway projects and the establishment of Navodaya schools, despite the Centre increasing railway allocations to the state from ₹4,000 crore under the UPA to ₹13,995 crore under the NDA.
On education, he accused the state of undermining the University Grants Commission (UGC) and delaying the appointment of vice chancellors in state-run universities. He also defended the UGC’s guidelines and the Centre’s New Education Policy (NEP), alleging that West Bengal opposes central initiatives purely for political reasons.
With the BJP securing 77 seats in the 2021 assembly elections and 12 Lok Sabha seats in 2024, Pradhan asserted that the party is on track to wrest control from the TMC in 2026.
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