TMC Criticizes BJP: A fresh political confrontation erupted in West Bengal’s Bongaon region on Tuesday, as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged “unclear citizenship status” of two of its MLAs. The controversy, which has gained significant attention in both political and legal circles, has deepened the already tense relationship between the ruling party in the state and the BJP, the principal opposition force.
TMC Criticizes BJP: The Core Allegation
According to TMC leaders, BJP MLAs Biswajit Das and Ashok Kirtania—both representing constituencies under the Bongaon Lok Sabha segment—have citizenship statuses that need urgent clarification. The TMC has questioned whether the two lawmakers meet the legal requirements to serve in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
TMC spokespersons argued that if either MLA’s Indian citizenship is not legally valid, their membership in the assembly could stand on questionable grounds. This, the party claims, is a matter of constitutional concern and not just a political talking point.
“We are not making baseless allegations; the people have a right to know whether their elected representatives are legally eligible to hold office. The BJP must provide clarity,”
said senior TMC leader and minister Chandrima Bhattacharya during a press briefing in Kolkata.
BJP’s Response
The BJP swiftly countered these accusations, dismissing them as politically motivated attempts to distract from the TMC’s own governance challenges. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the charges were a “fabricated ploy” aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the 2026 state assembly polls.
“Our MLAs have gone through all due legal processes. This is nothing but a smear campaign by the TMC to divert public attention from its corruption scandals,”
Majumdar asserted.
The Citizenship Question in Border District Politics
Bongaon, located in the North 24 Parganas district, is a politically sensitive border zone, sharing a long frontier with Bangladesh. The region has historically witnessed migration-related disputes, especially among communities impacted by the 1947 Partition, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and subsequent migration waves.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which promises citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries, has further intensified political debates in the area. While the BJP has positioned itself as a champion of the CAA, the TMC has vocally opposed it, calling it discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Observers say the current row fits into this larger context, where questions of citizenship are not merely legal technicalities but emotional and deeply political issues.
📄 Read more about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act here:
https://legislative.gov.in/actsofparliamentfromtheyear/citizenship-amendment-act-2019
Legal Implications
Under Section 5 and Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, any questions about the validity of a person’s citizenship can be examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and, in certain cases, the courts. If the allegations are formally pursued, they could trigger a legal process involving document verification, affidavits, and potentially a judicial hearing.
Constitutional experts note that if an elected representative is found ineligible on citizenship grounds, their seat can be declared vacant, leading to a by-election. Such a scenario could significantly alter the political dynamics in Bongaon, where the BJP has been making steady electoral gains since 2019.
📄 More on the Citizenship Act, 1955:
https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/A1955-57.pdf
TMC’s Political Strategy
The TMC’s public push on this issue appears calculated to put the BJP on the defensive in a region where both parties are battling for dominance. With the panchayat polls earlier this year showing a mixed verdict in border areas, the ruling party seems keen to highlight any vulnerability in the opposition’s ranks.
Political analysts believe that TMC’s move also serves a dual purpose: rallying its own base on nationalist and legal integrity grounds while casting doubt over the BJP’s moral high ground on the CAA.
BJP’s Counter-Narrative
The BJP is likely to flip the narrative, portraying the TMC’s campaign as an attack on Hindu refugees—a sensitive issue in Bongaon, which has a significant population of post-Partition refugee families. By doing so, the party could try to consolidate its core support base and project the TMC as being “anti-refugee.”
“This is a deliberate attempt to malign leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving the refugee community,”
said BJP MLA Biswajit Das in response to the TMC’s claims.
The Road Ahead
Whether the TMC’s allegations lead to a formal legal challenge or remain a political skirmish will depend on the evidence they can present and the willingness of relevant authorities to investigate. For now, the controversy has injected fresh tension into the already polarized political atmosphere in West Bengal.
In the coming months, as political parties gear up for key by-elections and the 2026 assembly polls, citizenship debates—particularly in border constituencies—are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping campaign strategies.
External Resources for Context:
- Election Commission of India – Representation of the People Act, 1951
- India’s Citizenship Act Overview – PRS Legislative Research
- North 24 Parganas District Official Portal
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