“Bengal’s Lotus Watered by the Blood of BJP Workers”: Babulal Marandi Attacks the Opposition
Ranchi | May 08, 2026
Jharkhand’s Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, has launched a scathing attack on parties that attribute the BJP’s success in West Bengal to the “favor” of the Election Commission. Sharing a lengthy post on the social media platform ‘X’, he asserted that the BJP’s lotus in Bengal was not watered by the Election Commission, but rather by the “blood” of the party’s workers.
Marandi stated that some people still live under the delusion that the BJP’s rise in Bengal is the result of EVMs, central forces, or interference from Delhi. He emphasized that in Bengal, the lotus blossomed through the blood of party workers long before it emerged from the ballot boxes.
In his post, he chronicled the struggles, political violence, and journey of the BJP workers through four distinct sections. In the first section, titled “Heaps of Corpses and Burning Homes,” he asserted that between 2011 and 2025, BJP workers endured political violence, attacks, and repression. He alleged that BJP supporters were targeted, entire villages were set ablaze, and the dignity of women was even weaponized for political ends.
In the second section, titled “Rock-Solid Morale: Undaunted Even by Death,” Marandi highlighted the courage of the BJP workers, noting that despite facing fabricated cases, imprisonment, and social ostracism, their morale remained unbroken. He pointed out that BJP workers waged a relentless struggle throughout the 34 years of Leftist rule and the 15 years of Trinamool Congress politics.
In the third section, titled “15 Years of Penance: A Blood-Soaked Journey from Zero to the Summit,” he recounted the BJP’s political trajectory—a journey that began in 2011 with just one MLA, reached 77 MLAs in 2021, and culminated in a victory with an absolute majority in 2026. He attributed this success to the sacrifices and struggles of the party workers.
In the fourth and final part of his address—titled "This Is Not a Gift, But the Sacrifice of Martyrs"—Marandi stated that attributing the BJP's success in Bengal to a "fix" or "favor" constitutes an insult to those party workers who laid down their lives to keep democracy alive.
Marandi asserted that this victory is a triumph of Bengal's self-respect, its struggle, and the sacrifices made by BJP workers.
