2 min readKolkataUpdated: Apr 13, 2026 07:48 AM IST
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday, signalling the start of his high-stakes election campaign in Sonamukhi in Bankura district of West Bengal.
Addressing an election rally in Bankura district, Adityanath opened his speech in Bengali, declaring that the game “khela” was over, referring to TMC’s 2021 poll slogan ‘khela hobe’ (the game is on).
“Bangla aar chup thakbe na. Ebar khela shesh. Unnayan shuru (Bengal won’t remain silent. The game is over now. Development begins),” Adityanath told the crowd.
In a speech lasting roughly 25 minutes, Adityanath drew a parallel between Bengal’s current state and Uttar Pradesh’s a decade ago. He claimed that the “double-engine” government, the BJP at both the state and Centre, had transformed UP from a ‘mafia raj’ into a law-abiding economic hub.
“There is no appeasement in Uttar Pradesh anymore; there is satisfaction for all,” he said. “The mafia has been sent on a journey to hell. Young people are getting jobs, and everyone is safe. Bengal needs that same transformation.”
Adityanath criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her silence regarding recent atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. Referring to the brutal killing of a Hindu Dalit across the border, he alleged that the TMC’s silence was a strategic move to protect its “Muslim vote bank”. “We protested, the BJP protested, but Mamatadi was silent. Her fear is the loss of a specific vote bank over the lives of the marginalised,” he alleged.
Adityanath also invoked the legacy of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, urging the people of Sonamukhi to restore Bengal to its former glory. He accused the Congress, the Left, and the TMC of forming an unholy alliance to mislead the youth and create social divisions.
