‘Jai Shri Ram’ vs ‘Jai Bangla’ during voting; Controversy over Shubhendu’s visit to Mamata Banerjee’s constituency

By Samira Vishwas On Apr 29, 2026

‘Jai Shri Ram’ vs ‘Jai Bangla’ during voting
Controversy over Shubhendu’s visit to Mamata Banerjee’s constituency
Slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Bangla’

West Bengal Assembly Elections In the second phase, Bhawanipur constituency is the most talked about, where TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari are fighting. When Suvendu officials reached a polling booth, slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Bangla’ were raised, leading to clashes.

Voting is underway in 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. The second stage is more sensitive than the first stage. Bhawanipur constituency is in the news, as it is contested between TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari. This has led to political tension, with clashes between Suvendu officials and TMC workers during the polls.

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When BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari reached a polling station in Bhawanipur, a TMC stronghold, a large number of TMC workers gathered near the polling station. Suvendu Adhikari started chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, to which the TMC workers responded by chanting ‘Jai Bangla’. This created a tense atmosphere and a scuffle broke out between Suvendu officials and TMC workers.

Seeing the TMC workers chanting ‘Jai Bangla’, Suvendu officers approached the security forces and complained that these people were Bangladeshis, not voters. The security forces then took over and used mild force to disperse the crowd by baton charging. Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari told the media, “I am visiting the polling station; these are outsiders, Bangladeshis, not voters.”

#WATCH | Suvendu Adhikari says, “I am visiting the booth. These are not voters but outsiders.” pic.twitter.com/UVg3vfZNOC
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026

A voter who came to vote at the polling station told Aaj Tak that BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari had come to visit, where he shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. In response to this, the crowd present started chanting ‘Jai Bangla’. This created instant chaos in the entire area.

Jai Shri Ram vs Jai Bangla

BJP has announced ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the West Bengal assembly elections, while TMC has responded with ‘Jai Bangla’. This is why, when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’, TMC workers responded by chanting ‘Jai Bangla’. An argument soon broke out between the two sides, which soon turned into heated arguments and tensions. Security forces had to resort to lathicharge to bring the situation under control.

In Bengali politics, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ versus ‘Jai Bangla’ are not just religious or linguistic slogans; They have come to symbolize the conflict between two different political ideologies and identities. BJP is using ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to consolidate its hegemony in Bengal and polarize Hindus.

In response to BJP’s ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Mamata Banerjee has played the Bengali identity card and declared ‘Jai Bangla’. The slogan is a symbol of Bengali nationalism and regional pride, and Mamata Banerjee used it to portray the BJP as an ‘outsider’ party. ‘Jai Bangla’, originally a slogan from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, was revived in West Bengal politics by Mamata Banerjee to convey the message that Bengal would not compromise on its culture and language.

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