West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari addresses a press conference at Nabanna in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Friday, May 15, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday (May 15, 2026) dismissed allegations of post-election violence and said he would ensure the safe return of people who fled their homes. However, he added that if any of them were found to be involved in violence against BJP workers after the 2021 assembly elections, they would end up in jail.
In 2021, there were allegations of large-scale attacks on BJP workers after the Trinamool Congress won that year’s elections, defeating the BJP.
Mr. Adhikari’s assurance came on the floor of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly when he was reacting to the allegations leveled by Leader of the Opposition and Trinamool Congress MLA, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.
“The BJP has promised that bhoy (fear) will disappear and there will be bhorsa (faith). Fear prevails in the state. Several people have been forced to leave their homes. We are able to hear the footsteps of fascism,” the opposition leader said.
An uproar in the assembly
Mr. Chattopadhyay’s remark created an uproar in the House. MPs from the benches of the Ministry of Finance raised their voices and tried to drown out his speech. The Chief Minister then intervened and said the veteran Trinamool MLA should be allowed to speak.
“I am not aware of anyone who ran away from their homes after the elections. But if there are any such persons, please send the details to the Director General of Police. The only condition is that after the 2021 assembly elections, no allegation of post-election violence should be made against that person,” the chief minister said. The local MLA and the Superintendent of Police (SP) will ensure the safe return of all who were not involved in any violence, he reiterated.
The Chief Minister said there were 12,000 First Information Reports (FIRs) related to post-election violence in West Bengal in 2021. The Trinamool won this year’s assembly elections, securing 215 seats, while the BJP won only 77. The BJP claimed that its workers were at the end of the violence that erupted after those elections.
Secular Front of India MLA Nawsad Siddique also recalled the violence after the 2021 elections and expressed hope that the new government would prevent such incidents.
The court intervenes
After the Trinamool lost to the BJP in the 2026 assembly elections, the party alleged that its supporters were being targeted. Trinamool Chairperson Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday (May 14, 2026) in the matter.
Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen ordered the West Bengal Police to ensure that if “any citizen irrespective of his party affiliation is illegally thrown out of his shop/house/property etc due to post-voting violence, he is given safe return to his shop/house/property etc. Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP claimed that their supporters were killed in the violence.”
The first day of the 18th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal on Friday (May 15, 2026) saw members from the Finance Ministry benches raising slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Shri Ram. Trinamool legislators briefly boycotted the proceedings only to join in after a few minutes.
The BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member House, while the Trinamool’s tally was reduced to 80 in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Published – 15 May 2026 22:05 IST
