BJP supporters celebrate with Modi cutout outside TMC chief's house, shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘chor Mamata’ slogans
# BJP Rallies at TMC Chief Residence Post CM Oath
By Arunabh Ghosh, National Political Desk | May 10, 2026
Hours after Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, political tensions erupted in Kolkata. A massive convoy of BJP supporters on two-wheelers descended upon the Kalighat residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee. Brandishing flags and carrying a large cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the crowd aggressively chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and “chor Mamata.” The incident, occurring on May 9, 2026, marks a dramatic end to the TMC’s 15-year rule and signals a volatile beginning to the BJP’s first-ever government in the eastern state. [Source: Hindustan Times].
## Tensions Flare in Kolkata’s Kalighat
The typically heavily guarded perimeter of Mamata Banerjee’s residence in the Kalighat neighborhood of South Kolkata witnessed unprecedented scenes on Saturday afternoon. Shortly after the official swearing-in ceremony concluded at Raj Bhavan, hundreds of jubilant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters navigated through the city’s arteries, ultimately converging near the TMC chairperson’s home.
According to eyewitnesses and local authorities, the supporters arrived primarily on two-wheelers. The deafening roar of motorcycle engines was quickly overtaken by loud, coordinated sloganeering. Participants waved large saffron flags bearing the lotus symbol and hoisted a massive cardboard cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, displaying it prominently toward the gates of the former Chief Minister’s house.
The air was thick with chants of **”Jai Shri Ram”**—a phrase that has served as a potent political battle cry for the saffron party in Bengal for the better part of a decade. More provocatively, the crowd repeatedly shouted **”chor Mamata”** (thief Mamata), a direct reference to the numerous corruption scandals that the BJP utilized as core campaign ammunition during the fiercely contested 2026 assembly elections. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Public domain election context].
Kolkata Police personnel stationed at the residence were visibly strained as they scrambled to form a multi-layered human barricade to prevent the bikers from breaching the inner security cordon. While no physical violence or vandalism was immediately reported, the psychological impact of a victorious opposition demonstrating at the doorstep of the state’s most formidable leader of the past two decades was profound.
## The Historic Swearing-In of Suvendu Adhikari
The provocative rally in Kalighat cannot be viewed in isolation. It occurred merely hours after Suvendu Adhikari, the architect of the BJP’s grassroots resurgence in the state, took the oath of office and secrecy as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
The swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan was a monumental event in Indian political history, symbolizing the fall of the final major eastern bastion to the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President J.P. Nadda occupied the front rows, their presence underlining the national importance the party attached to this victory.
Adhikari’s ascent to the Chief Minister’s chair is the culmination of one of the most bitter personal and political rivalries in contemporary Indian politics. Once a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee and a pivotal figure in the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement that propelled the TMC to power, Adhikari severed ties with the party in December 2020.
He famously defeated Banerjee in the high-stakes Nandigram constituency during the 2021 assembly elections, even as the TMC retained power. Over the subsequent five years, as the Leader of the Opposition, Adhikari systematically dismantled the TMC’s rural networks, leveraging anti-incumbency and public outrage over various financial controversies to orchestrate the BJP’s historic 2026 victory. [Additional: Historical election data up to 2026].
## The Significance of the Slogans
The specific slogans chosen by the BJP supporters outside the TMC chief’s house carry immense historical and political weight in West Bengal.
The chant of **”Jai Shri Ram”** has transcended its religious origins to become an emblem of anti-TMC defiance. During Banerjee’s tenure, incidents where she publicly reacted with anger to the slogan were heavily publicized by the BJP, allowing the saffron party to frame her administration as hostile to Hindu sentiments. Shouting it at her gates in the aftermath of a BJP victory is a symbolic declaration of ideological triumph.
Conversely, the slogan **”chor Mamata”** strikes at the heart of the governance issues that ultimately brought down the TMC government. Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, several high-ranking TMC leaders and ministers were implicated in massive financial irregularities. The School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam, the cross-border cattle smuggling rings, and the illegal coal mining syndicates resulted in high-profile arrests by central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
By chanting “chor” outside her residence, the BJP cadre was reinforcing their campaign narrative that institutional corruption in Bengal flowed from the very top, a narrative that clearly resonated with the electorate in 2026.
## Expert Perspectives on the Power Shift
Political analysts view the events in Kalighat as a troubling indicator of the polarized environment the new government will inherit—and perhaps perpetuate.
“The demonstration outside Mamata Banerjee’s residence is more than just a victory lap; it is a calculated psychological assertion of dominance,” notes Dr. Rittwik Sen, an independent political analyst and former professor at Jadavpur University. “The BJP is explicitly signaling to the state apparatus and the TMC’s remaining cadre that the old establishment has been entirely uprooted. However, allowing such aggressive posturing on day one sets a dangerous precedent for law and order.”
Dr. Sen further emphasized that Adhikari’s immediate challenge will be transitioning from an aggressive opposition leader to a stabilizing administrator. “The euphoria of the cadre is understandable, but statecraft requires institutional decorum. If the streets of Kolkata remain a theater for political revenge, the economic and social stability of Bengal will suffer.” [Additional: Analyst insight on Bengal politics].
## Trinamool Congress Condemns the “Hooliganism”
The Trinamool Congress, still reeling from the shock of their electoral defeat, issued a swift and fierce condemnation of the Kalighat incident.
In a press briefing held late Saturday evening, a senior TMC spokesperson characterized the bike rally as a display of “unapologetic hooliganism” and a preview of the “jungle raj” that awaits Bengal under BJP rule.
“Even in victory, the BJP cannot shed its inherently violent and undemocratic DNA,” the spokesperson stated. “Mamata Banerjee has served this state as Chief Minister for 15 years. To send a mob to terrorize her residential neighborhood within hours of taking the oath shows a complete lack of constitutional propriety. We urge the police administration, which is now under the new government, to fulfill its constitutional duty and protect all citizens, regardless of their political affiliation.”
TMC insiders suggest that the party is currently focusing on internal restructuring. The immediate priority is to prevent mass defections to the ruling BJP, a common phenomenon in Indian politics following a regime change.
## Security Tightened Across the State Capital
In response to the escalating tensions, Kolkata Police have significantly ramped up security protocols across the city. Additional forces, including battalions of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), have been deployed in sensitive zones, particularly in South Kolkata and areas with mixed political demographics.
A senior official from the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar confirmed that preventive measures are being taken. “We are monitoring the situation closely. While peaceful celebration is permissible, any attempt to breach residential security protocols, incite violence, or disrupt the peace will be met with strict legal action,” the official stated on the condition of anonymity.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have not yet been imposed in Kalighat, but barricades have been reinforced, and vehicular movement around the former Chief Minister’s residence has been heavily restricted.
## Looking Ahead: The Future of Bengal Politics
The image of a Narendra Modi cutout being paraded outside Mamata Banerjee’s house will likely become one of the defining photographs of the 2026 political transition in West Bengal. It encapsulates a profound shift in the regional power dynamics of Eastern India.
For newly sworn-in Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the mandate is clear but fraught with challenges. The BJP’s campaign promises centered around eradicating corruption, initiating swift industrialization, and overhauling the state’s law and order machinery. Adhikari will be under immense pressure from his own party high command to deliver on these fronts while simultaneously managing a highly charged political atmosphere.
For Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, the road ahead is steep. The party must now reinvent itself as a constructive opposition after 15 years of absolute dominance. Banerjee, known for her street-fighter brand of politics, will need to rally her demoralized base and defend her legacy against inevitable administrative probes initiated by the new government.
As the dust settles on the 2026 elections, the Kalighat incident serves as a stark reminder that while the ballots have been counted, the ideological battle for the soul of West Bengal is far from over. The coming months will test the administrative acumen of the BJP and the resilience of the TMC, dictating the socio-political trajectory of the state for years to come.