The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday seized the opportunity to turn an earthquake into political ammunition, using tremors felt across Kolkata and parts of the Northeast to take a swipe at Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress party, sparking a war of words on social media.
Moments after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake rattled Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district — tremors of which were also felt in Kolkata – the BJP’s state unit posted on X, “West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. Mamata Banerjee, was it because of SIR?”
The TMC shot back instantly, saying, “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.”
The war of words comes amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal – as the state gears up for the Assembly Elections – due in 2026 – which will witness a contest between BJP, the ruling Trinamool Congress and other parties.
Following NDA’s sweeping win in the Bihar Assembly Elections on 14 November – PM Modi, while speaking at the BJP’s headquarters in Delhi, had said, “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.”
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, said it has started preparing for the 2026 legislative assembly in the state, with the poll body set to start Electronic Voting Machine checking exercise and voting rehearsals exercise, reported ANI.
Was there an earthquake in Kolkata too?
Strong tremors were felt in Kolkata and other parts of eastern India on Friday morning after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh.
Three people were killed when the railing of a six-storey building collapsed during the earthquake, Reuters reported citing police.
“We felt a strong jolt and buildings were shaking like trees,” Suman Rahman, a Dhaka resident told the news portal. “Staircases were jammed as people rushed down. Everyone was terrified, children were crying.”
