New Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while accusing the latter of "institutional takeover and cutting millions of votes".

In a post shared on X, Kejriwal wrote, "Even after taking over all the institutions and getting millions of votes cut, what if Modi still loses the West Bengal election?"

सभी संस्थाओं पर क़ब्ज़ा करके लाखों वोट कटवाने के बाद भी अगर मोदी जी पश्चिम बंगाल का चुनाव हार गए तो?

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 11, 2026

The post comes amid heightened political tension in West Bengal ahead of the 294-member Assembly elections scheduled to take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

The political atmosphere in the state has been marked by strong exchanges between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, particularly over allegations related to voter list revisions and electoral preparedness.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee recently accused the Election Commission and the BJP of large-scale deletion of voter names, claiming that the process would be reversed if his party returns to power. He also questioned the classification of those removed from the electoral rolls.

On the other hand, the BJP has been aggressively campaigning in West Bengal, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiling the party's manifesto for the 2026 Assembly elections. Shah announced that if the BJP comes to power, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in the state within six months.

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He also promised strong action against infiltration and cattle smuggling, along with the formation of a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate instances of political violence in West Bengal. Shah asserted that the people of the state are seeking change and alleged that governance under the current regime has led to disillusionment and fear among citizens.

As campaigning intensifies, political leaders from across parties are expected to continue exchanging sharp remarks, further escalating the high-stakes electoral battle in the state.