The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has leveraged an earthquake that shook Kolkata and parts of Northeast India for political gain, prompting a sharp exchange with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee on social media.
Following a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that originated in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district, tremors were reported in Kolkata. The BJP’s Bengal unit took to X to comment, “West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. Mamata Banerjee, was it because of SIR?”
The TMC swiftly responded, asserting, “It’s actually the ground shaking beneath the feet of @BJP4Bengal as they stare at an imminent defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. And don’t worry, the Delhi Zamindars won’t miss it either; the shockwaves will reach them too.”
This exchange occurs amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal, in preparation for the Assembly Elections scheduled for 2026, which will feature competition among the BJP, the ruling Trinamool Congress, and other parties.
On November 14, following the National Democratic Alliance’s significant victory in the Bihar Assembly Elections, Prime Minister Modi remarked at BJP’s headquarters, “The river Ganga flows to Bengal via Bihar. And the victory in Bihar, like the river, has paved the way for our victory in Bengal.”
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that it has commenced preparations for the 2026 legislative assembly elections in West Bengal, with plans to start checking Electronic Voting Machines and conducting voting rehearsals, according to ANI.
Strong tremors were felt in Kolkata and other regions of eastern India on Friday morning after the earthquake in Bangladesh. Reports indicate that the earthquake resulted in three fatalities due to the collapse of the railing of a six-storey building, as reported by Reuters.
Suman Rahman, a resident of Dhaka, described the scene: “We felt a strong jolt and buildings were shaking like trees. Staircases were jammed as people rushed down. Everyone was terrified; children were crying.”
