100 days of BJP Government in West Bengal | Balancing trust and mistrust

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With the BJP government in the State enjoying the full support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, the political situation seems to be conducive to make structural reforms and usher in growth. File. | Photo Credit: PTI

On August 17, the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in West Bengal came out with full page advertisements in leading national dailies titled ‘100 days of Bhorosha — 8 pillars for Bikosito Poschimbongo (100 days of trust: 8 pillars for a developed West Bengal).

The BJP fought the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 on the promise of bringing in ‘ bhorosa ’ (trust) and the assurance that they will drive ‘ bhoy ‘(fear) out. In the advertisement, the eight pillars of trust refer to industrialisation, good governance, law and order, national security, health, education, and empowerment of people among others.

One of the biggest challenges of the West Bengal government is to bring in big industrial capital in the State, something which the Trinamool Congress government had miserably failed to do. In the past 100 days, the Suvendu Adhikari government has announced a single window clearance for investment over ₹100 crore and promised to bring in a new industrial policy. The BJP government claims that it has received investment proposals of ₹54,000 crores and there have been multiple events where the Chief Minister has been laying the foundation stone of industrial units.

However, a closer look at these investment proposals and the sites where these investments are promised point out that similar promises have been made by the previous Trinamool Congress government by the same industry houses. While there is some enthusiasm among the industrialists over change of regime, for real investment to flow in, the BJP government will have to do something path-breaking particularly when West Bengal has lost decades to States in the south and west of the country as far as attracting private investment is concerned. Or else, these foundation stone laying will only become ‘photo-ops’ as it happened in the previous regime.

The BJP had promised big on improving law and order situation in the State and ensuring safety and security of women. The past hundred days have witnessed the arrest of hundreds of local Trinamool Congress leaders, including former MLAs and Ministers and many of them being subjected to mob violence and attacked with eggs.

The prevailing political sentiment on the ground is that if the Trinamool leaders can warm up to the BJP, they can avoid the arrests and public humiliation. This has led to something bigger than a law-and-order challenge and is being referred as ‘ Trinamoolification of the BJP” by none other than the BJP’s top State leadership.