BJP LAUNCHES COUNTER-MARCH IN BENGAL AFTER INDIA BLOC RALLY, OPPOSITION ALLEGES POLITICAL PANIC

November 3, 2026

KOLKATA, NOVEMBER 3: BJP national president Nitin Nabin led a massive party march in Kolkata on Monday, a day after the INDIA bloc organised a major rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, intensifying the political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Opposition over allegations of electoral manipulation.

The march, which began at College Street and proceeded towards Esplanade, reportedly drew more than 25,000 participants. Nabin was accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. The demonstration was organised under the banner of 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy), countering the Opposition's 'vote chori' allegations against the Election Commission and the BJP.

Opposition leaders in Bengal described the BJP's sudden mobilisation as a reaction to the INDIA bloc's Ramlila Maidan demonstration, which had called for the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty questioned Nabin's references to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, interpreting them as an indication of political nervousness. Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh also accused the BJP of displaying panic by organising a democracy-saving march in a state governed by the party itself.

Addressing supporters, Nabin defended Prime Minister Modi's leadership and asserted that he would return to power in 2029, hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort. He also accused Rahul Gandhi of acting as a 'toolkit' for foreign forces and alleged that the Congress leader had shown sympathy towards groups involved in destabilising Bangladesh and Nepal.

Adhikari accused the Opposition of using the Ramlila Maidan rally to shield itself from corruption allegations and challenged Mamata Banerjee to contest the forthcoming civic elections from her own ward. He also called upon BJP workers to strengthen the party's organisation ahead of the municipal elections in Kolkata and Howrah.

Meanwhile, Samik Bhattacharya demanded another Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, claiming that the previous exercise had remained incomplete because of resistance from the then Trinamool Congress government.

The competing rallies reflect an intensifying political battle over electoral credibility, voter-list revision and party mobilisation, with both the BJP and INDIA bloc seeking to shape the political narrative through public demonstrations.