Patna (Bihar) [India], March 22 (ANI): After Trinamool Congress unveiled the manifesto for the 2026 Assembly elections, Bihar BJP MLA Maithili Thakur criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for what she claimed were efforts aimed purely at the elections.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur argued that the CM should have implemented these schemes earlier, not after the election schedule was declared, drawing parallels with the Bihar elections. 'If she had to do something for women, she should have done it earlier. We also saw in Bihar that the opposition brought forward their schemes after the election announcement was made. The same effort is being made in West Bengal as well,' the MLA told ANI.

These remarks come after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday unveiled the TMC manifesto for the 2026 Assembly elections, titled '10 Protigya' (10 pledges).

The announcement was marked by sharp political exchanges, with CM Banerjee targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the opposition dismissed the manifesto as 'unrealistic.'

Banerjee announced the launch of the 'Duare Chikitsa' scheme, which will provide doorstep medical care with camps in every booth.

One of the highlights of the manifesto was Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, in which she stated that women in the general category will receive Rs 1,500 per month, SC/ST women Rs 1,700, and unemployed youth Rs 1,500 as pocket money.

Additional promises include building 30 lakh rural homes under Banglar Bari, improving rural roads, increasing paddy procurement prices to Rs 2,500, and ensuring free irrigation for small and marginal farmers. Banerjee also emphasised industrial growth, stating that West Bengal is a leading destination for MSMEs and highlighting the Deocha Pachami power project as a long-term solution to energy needs.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders strongly criticised the manifesto. BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh accused Banerjee of damaging the state's legacy and expressed confidence that voters would reject the Trinamool Congress in 2026.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary slammed TMC's manifesto, adding that the party is 'skilled in misleading people.'

'Elections have arrived, and the Trinamool Party is skilled at misleading people. Now that the elections are here, there will be a flood of big promises to manipulate and mislead the public. Every possible effort is being made to influence and deceive people, and that is exactly what is happening,' said Chowdhary.

Assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes slated for May 4.

Like the 2021 Assembly election, this time too Mamata Banerjee is set to contest from the Bhabanipur seat, from where she will face a repeat clash with BJP leader and West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari had also challenged Mamata from Nandigram in the 2021 West Bengal polls, from where he won by 1956 votes. Following her defeat, the TMC supremo contested the bypoll from Bhabanipur, after MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned from the seat.

In West Bengal, the Legislative Assembly consists of 294 seats. The election in 2021 was held in eight phases. TMC won 215 seats, returning to power for a third consecutive term, and BJP won 77. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Tamang) won one seat, and Indian Secular Front won one seat. Congress and Left Front had drawn a blank in the polls. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in West Bengal since 2011. (ANI)