For Mamata Banerjee, seeking a fourth straight term in Wemast Bengal was always going to be a tough fight. After 15 years in power, anti-incumbency was expected to dominate the 2026 election. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), backed by its organisational strength and led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had positioned itself as the main challenger.

There was enough discontent to fuel that challenge. A series of incidents - most notably the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and another sexual assault case in south Kolkata - sparked public outrage. These were not isolated. Reports of violence against women in rural areas added to the anger. Mamata may have taken to the streets to demand justice in the RG Kar case, but that did little to ease voter frustration. Anti-incumbency seemed real and rising.

But the election narrative did not stay focused on governance for long.

The turning point came with a nationwide crackdown on "ghuspaithiyas" - illegal Bengali-speaking immigrants believed to be from Bangladesh. What was meant to be a political plank for the BJP began to shift the mood on the ground. Arrests and deportations triggered unease, even among those who were not aligned with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Reports of people being sent to Bangladesh and facing harassment there created anger across communities.

Then came a series of moments that struck a deeper chord. The claim that Bengali was not a language, and the Delhi Police's search for a translator of the "Bangladeshi language" was seen as more than a bureaucratic slip - it was perceived as an attack on identity. For many voters, this reinforced the idea that the BJP was not just targeting illegal immigrants but challenging Bengali identity itself.

At the heart of this shift is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. What began as an administrative exercise soon became the central issue of the election. The scale is massive: around 91 lakh voters - nearly 12% - have either been removed or placed "under adjudication". The total voter base has dropped from 7.08 crore to 6.44 crore.

This has turned SIR into a personal issue. Families have found names missing. Neighbours are being questioned. Entire communities feel under scrutiny. The political language has also changed - "under adjudication" is now a label that directly affects everyday lives.

The controversy reached a peak when the Supreme Court of India stepped in, invoking Article 142 to ensure "complete justice". The court overturned the Election Commission's move to freeze rolls without hearings. Mamata quickly projected this as a win for the people.

For the BJP, defending SIR has come at a cost. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had framed the exercise clearly: "Detect, delete, deport". But the fallout has affected not just suspected illegal immigrants but also sections of its own support base. Communities like the Matuas - many of whom migrated after 1971 - have found themselves caught in the process. This has reshaped the election. Instead of a straightforward contest on governance, it is now a layered battle - between Trinamool and the BJP, and between Trinamool and the Election Commission. For many voters, the BJP and the EC are seen as working in tandem on SIR, further sharpening the political divide.

Anti-incumbency has not disappeared. But it is no longer the dominant issue.

Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now