Kolkata

Amit Shah on Friday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would make major electoral gains in eastern India, saying the regions historically known as “Anga, Banga and Kalinga” — present-day Assam, West Bengal and Odisha — would have BJP governments next month.

Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata, the Union home minister said voters had turned out enthusiastically in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections and backed political change. He claimed the BJP would secure an absolute majority in the state.

Shah said the party expected to win more than 110 of the 152 seats that voted in the first phase on Thursday. He also praised the Election Commission of India and security forces, stating that polling was conducted without any deaths.

Targeting the ruling All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee, Shah said its departure from power was near and asserted that the BJP would form the next government in the state.

He also said that if the BJP wins in West Bengal, the chief minister would be a Bengal-born and Bengali-speaking leader.

Promising governance reforms, Shah said a BJP government would focus on women’s safety, end alleged corruption and syndicate networks, and create a more investor-friendly environment in the state.

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The BJP already governs Odisha and is seeking another term in Assam, while aiming to unseat the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.