'Is janam mein Bengal nahi jeet sakti': Bihar MP Pappu Yadav says ‘only President’s rule can help BJP where it can’t win

PATNA: Independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, asserted on Tuesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party lacks the capability to secure electoral victories independently in India. He further stated that the BJP would be unable to pose a significant challenge to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during elections, and consequently cannot establish a government in the state.

"Iss janam mein BJP Bengal mein success nahi ho sakti, Mamata Banerjee ko challenge nahi kar sakti (BJP cannot succeed in Bengal in this life, it cannot challenge Mamata Banerjee). The BJP can never win elections alone in India. They can win only by keeping a gun on someone's shoulder. Wherever the BJP will not form the government, it wants to rule under President's rule," Pappu Yadav said.
In response to BJP's assertion about forming the government in West Bengal in the 2026 assembly elections, tensions have escalated.
The BJP has launched criticism against the West Bengal administration following the Murshidabad incident, alleging that "Hindus were threatened at gunpoint and forced to chant Islamic religious slogans."
Union minister Sukanta Majumdar has criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging she pressured officials to return the victims despite their homes being destroyed, raising concerns about their displacement.
"Several incidents of this kind happened that day, and not just this, Hindus were held on gunpoint and forced to chant Islamic religious slogans. This will be the future of other Hindus who are staying in other parts of the state, who are thinking this problem is limited to Murshidabad. I want to ask about the whereabouts of the so-called intellectuals of Kolkata," Majumdar said.
On April 11, unrest erupted in the Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district during demonstrations opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
The situation intensified, resulting in two fatalities, numerous injuries, and destruction of property, compelling thousands of residents to abandon their dwellings in search of secure locations.
The demonstrations against the Waqf (Amendment) Act extended to additional districts, including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, where incidents of fire-setting, stone-throwing, and road barriers occurred.
In the aftermath of the unrest, numerous families abandoned their residences. A significant number relocated to the Pakur district in Jharkhand, whilst others found shelter in relief facilities established in Malda.