no wayAs West Bengal prepares for the 2026 general elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress has launched an emotionally charged campaign centered on identity politics. At the heart of this campaign is a powerful narrative. What the party claims is that it is defending Bengali linguistic and cultural pride amidst systematic efforts to harass, criminalize and expel Bengali-speaking migrant workers from the BJP-ruled state. TMC leaders claim the incident is part of a wider attempt to delegitimize Bengali identity across India. These efforts are also linked to the BJP’s efforts to rid itself of a past filled with hostile signals against Bengalis who speak with a distinct North Indian accent. The latest reparative move came with the nomination of Samik Bhattacharya as the state BJP chief. Although a dyed-in-the-wool Sangh product, its relatively sober nature is more in keeping with the older bhadralok prototype. His coronation ceremony was also filled with Bengali religious iconography, especially that of the goddess Kali.