Akhilesh Yadav Hails Mamata Banerjee as BJP’s Strongest Challenger Ahead of Bengal Polls

Kolkata, Jan 2026 : Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday described West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the only political leader in the country with both the courage and capability to effectively challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His remarks came after a meeting with Banerjee at the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna.

Yadav had arrived in Kolkata on Monday night to attend a family function. On Tuesday afternoon, he visited Nabanna, where he held discussions with the Chief Minister. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the SP chief expressed strong confidence in Banerjee’s leadership, particularly in the context of the West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

He asserted that the upcoming elections would once again demonstrate Banerjee’s ability to withstand and defeat the BJP’s political machinery. “In the entire country, only Mamata Banerjee is countering the BJP in the right manner. It is only a matter of time before the BJP faces a landslide defeat in West Bengal,” Yadav said.

Referring to central agencies, Yadav remarked that even the Enforcement Directorate had failed in its attempts against Banerjee. “The Enforcement Directorate lost to Mamata Banerjee. Now it is time for the BJP to accept that defeat. I repeat, Mamata Banerjee is the only leader in the country who is countering the BJP in the right way,” he added.

Yadav also echoed Banerjee’s strong opposition to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. According to him, the exercise reflected the BJP’s apprehension about an impending electoral defeat in the state. He alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was acting at the behest of the BJP by targeting genuine voters under the guise of the SIR process.

“The only aim of the SIR is to delete genuine voters from the list. The Election Commission is acting like an agent of the BJP. But such conspiracies will not succeed,” Yadav claimed. He further expressed confidence that Banerjee would return as Chief Minister for a fourth consecutive term.

Political observers in Kolkata believe Yadav’s remarks carry broader implications within the opposition INDIA bloc. By projecting Banerjee as the most effective challenger to the BJP, Yadav is seen as sending a subtle message to the Congress leadership to shed what many allies perceive as a “big-brotherly” approach within the alliance.

Analysts note that both Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav have, in the past, had differences with the Congress on several issues. They have often accused the party of being high-handed in managing opposition unity. Yadav’s comments on Tuesday are being viewed as a renewed, albeit indirect, reminder of those longstanding concerns within the opposition camp.