Mamata Banerjee Congratulates Kerala on ‘Keralam’ Rename, Slams Centre for Denying ‘Bangla’ to West Bengal

Kolkata, Feb 2026 : Following the Centre’s approval to rename Kerala as “Keralam,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday congratulated the people of Kerala while sharply criticising the Union government for not clearing her state’s long-pending demand to rename West Bengal as “Bangla.” The Chief Minister said the refusal reflected a pattern of discrimination against Bengal and its cultural identity.

Recalling that the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had passed a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly in July 2018 seeking the name change, Banerjee said the proposal had been sent to the Centre multiple times without any positive response. “Bengal’s legitimate rights have always been denied,” she said. “We passed the bill in our Assembly and forwarded it repeatedly, but nothing has come of it.”

Banerjee also pointed to what she described as everyday administrative inconveniences caused by the current name. “Even during official meetings, we are made to wait longer simply because the state’s name begins with the letter ‘W’,” she remarked, underscoring her argument that the change to “Bangla” would reflect the state’s language, heritage and historical identity more accurately.

The TMC amplified the criticism in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the Centre’s leadership of hypocrisy. The party alleged that during every election season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah visit Bengal, profess affection for its soil, culture and people, but fail to act when the state asserts its identity. The post claimed that those opposing the renaming had little respect for Bengal’s heritage, language and icons, and warned that the state would not accept what it called “vindictive discrimination” simply because it refuses to bow to the high command of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The political sparring comes amid rising electoral activity in West Bengal. In this charged atmosphere, the Trinamool Congress has also levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission of India, accusing it of losing effective control over the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls in the state.

According to the TMC, repeated interventions by the Chief Minister were needed before the rules and conditions governing the SIR process were clearly defined by the Supreme Court of India. The party said that in an unprecedented move, the apex court had to permit the deployment of judicial officers from neighbouring states to break what it described as a massive deadlock created by the Election Commission’s “gross incompetence and administrative failure.” This intervention, the party argued, spoke volumes about the seriousness of the situation.

The court, during the ongoing hearing on the SIR dispute, reiterated that all documents notified by the Election Commission—or subsequently approved by the Supreme Court—must be accepted for the settlement of pending claims and objections. These include Aadhaar cards and secondary school certificates. The TMC said this clear directive thwarted what it alleged were arbitrary attempts by a “BJP-backed” Election Commission to alter rules and manipulate documentary standards mid-process.

The party further claimed that an alleged conspiracy to selectively target, intimidate and harass voters in Bengal had once again hit a judicial roadblock. “Institutions like the Election Commission must function within the boundaries of the law, not at the behest of partisan interests,” the TMC asserted.

In its order, the Supreme Court directed that judicial officers from Odisha and Jharkhand be included in the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal, with the expenses to be borne by the Election Commission. The court also permitted the Commission to publish the final electoral roll for West Bengal on February 28. The Trinamool Congress welcomed the decision, calling it a reaffirmation of constitutional safeguards and judicial oversight.

As debates over identity, federal fairness and electoral integrity intensify, West Bengal’s demand for recognition as “Bangla” has once again become a flashpoint—symbolising, in the ruling party’s view, a broader struggle for respect, equality and democratic propriety within the Indian Union.