Mamata Banerjee criticises BJP over women's reservation issue and parliamentary developments

 BJP's downfall has begun, its govt at Centre in minority: Mamata

PTI, April 18, 2026, Howrah/Baruipur: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday hit out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the saffron party's "downfall" began after the Centre failed to secure passage of a Constitution amendment Bill to implement women's reservation in legislatures from 2029.

Addressing back-to-back rallies at Uluberia in Howrah and Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, Mamata said Friday's events in Parliament had shown that the BJP was no longer a party with a majority of its own and was surviving in office only with the support of two allies. "Yesterday proved they are no longer a majority government. It is a minority government. They are somehow running it with the support of two parties," she said, in an apparent reference to the BJP's dependence on allies in the NDA.

The Chief Minister questioned why the women's reservation was tied to the delimitation exercise. "Why link it with delimitation? Is this an attempt to hide fish with greens?" she asked, invoking the Bengali phrase 'shak diye mach dhaka' to claim that the Centre was trying to conceal its real intentions.

Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata sought to turn the BJP's parliamentary setback into a larger political narrative, portraying it as the beginning of the BJP's decline nationally. "Modi sahib's downfall began in Delhi yesterday. In the Lok Sabha, you have been defeated; now you will have to be defeated on the ground. Bengal will show the way," she told cheering supporters at Uluberia.

In typical Mamata style, the TMC supremo mixed political attacks with personal anecdotes and old grievances. Recalling her long association with the demand for women's reservation, Mamata said she had been fighting for the cause since 1998, long before the BJP made it an issue. "This is not a women's Bill. I have fought for women's reservation since 1998. They are using the media to spread lies," she said.

The TMC supremo accused the Centre of linking the women's quota with delimitation in order to conceal what she described as a larger political design. Mamata alleged that the proposed delimitation exercise was aimed at redrawing political boundaries and weakening states like West Bengal. The Chief Minister said the BJP did not need to lecture her party on women's empowerment, asserting that the TMC had already ensured greater representation for women than most parties in the country.

Mamata said women constituted around 37 per cent of the party's elected Lok Sabha MPs and 46 per cent of its Rajya Sabha members. "We have given 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats and municipalities. Show me another party that has done this," she said. As she moved from Uluberia to Baruipur, Mamata sharpened her attack further and sought to bring former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar into the campaign. "Did you see what happened to Nitish Kumar? They used him during the elections and then pushed him aside," she said.

The CM also cautioned people against filling up forms under a proposed scheme promising cash assistance by the BJP. "Now, they (BJP leaders) are saying they will give Rs 3,000. Do not fill up those forms by mistake. They are taking your name and address. Then they will take away all the money from your account. They are all frauds," she alleged.

Mamata also accused the BJP of planning to misuse the Central agencies and security forces during the Assembly elections.