Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the BJP Legislature Party in Kolkata on Friday, May 8, 2026 — four days after the Bharatiya Janata Party won the West Bengal assembly election — and said the victory would close a national security gap along the state’s eastern border.
BJP’s victory in Bengal will plug a big hole in national security.
Amit Shah, Union Home Minister · BJP Legislature Party meeting, Kolkata · 08 May 2026
Shah framed the Bengal result as a border governance question. West Bengal’s international frontier — shared with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal — has been at the centre of a dispute between the state government and the Union Home Ministry over Border Security Force (BSF) jurisdiction.
The BSF Jurisdiction Dispute
West Bengal shares approximately 2,497 km of international border: 2,217 km with Bangladesh, 183 km with Bhutan, and 97 km with Nepal. The Union Home Ministry expanded BSF operational jurisdiction along this frontier from 15 km to 50 km via an October 2021 notification.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee passed a West Bengal assembly resolution opposing the expansion. Shah cited that resolution on Friday as direct evidence of the coordination failure he described as a security liability.
ℹ️ West Bengal Border: Key Numbers
- Total international border: approximately 2,497 km (Bangladesh: 2,217 km, Bhutan: 183 km, Nepal: 97 km)
- Bangladesh-facing stretch: longest of any Indian state
- BSF jurisdiction expanded: 15 km → 50 km (October 2021, Union Home Ministry notification)
- West Bengal assembly seats: 294 total
The Election Result
The Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule on March 15, 2026. Polling took place across two phases — April 23 and April 29, 2026 — with votes counted on May 4, 2026, one day before the constitutional deadline of May 7, 2026.
In the 2021 assembly election, the TMC had won 213 of 294 seats, holding the BJP to 77. The BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha performance in the state had also slipped: the party won 12 of West Bengal’s 42 parliamentary seats, down from 18 in 2019, while the TMC won 29.
Shah’s campaign in the run-up to the April polls had concentrated on North Bengal districts — Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri — that border Bangladesh and Bhutan, and where the BJP posted its strongest 2024 Lok Sabha numbers.
What Comes Next
With the BJP now holding Nabanna, the Union Home Ministry is expected to push for state compliance with the October 2021 BSF jurisdiction notification. The formation of the new West Bengal cabinet — and whether the incoming government formally withdraws the TMC-era assembly resolution opposing expanded BSF jurisdiction — will be the first test of Shah’s security agenda in the state.
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