West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on March 20, 2026, that an 'unofficial' and 'self-declared' President's rule has been imposed in the state. She made these claims while releasing her party's manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Friday, March 20, 2026, that an “unofficial” and “self-declared” President’s rule has been imposed in the state. “President’s rule has been imposed in West Bengal. Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) has to hold elections in West Bengal under President’s rule. It is such a shame. They fear the people of Bengal so much. Though the Centre has not pronounced it, but their actions point at the reality,” she said while releasing the Trinamool Congress manifesto for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Seeking a fourth consecutive term, Banerjee described the polls as an opportunity “to save the country from the hands of Narendra Modi” and urged voters not to accept money from the BJP but to give it a fitting reply. She expressed displeasure over the Election Commission's transfers of about 50 senior state officers, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police, and around a dozen District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police, since the model code of conduct came into force. Banerjee questioned how officers from other states, unfamiliar with the local language, culture, and geography, could conduct fair elections. She claimed the Centre plans to strip citizenship through NRC and Census post-elections and to divide West Bengal by carving out a new state from north Bengal and Bihar parts. “They do not want West Bengal to exist,” she said. Banerjee voiced concerns that judicial adjudication of about 60 lakh electors would not finish before polls, noting she had heard only 22 lakh cases were processed, with 10 lakh names deleted. The Trinamool Congress stated a particular community was targeted, and she had approached courts to the Election Commission. “Right to vote is the biggest right,” being snatched by the Commission at BJP's behest, she added. She warned of lakhs of central forces arriving, questioning logistics amid LPG shortages, and plans to start campaigning after Id-ul-Fitr on Saturday. The party has announced candidates for the 294-member assembly polls, scheduled in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting on May 4.
