With Mahalaya officially observed on Sunday, September 21, 2025, West Bengal’s iconic Durga Puja festivities have begun, bringing with them a noticeable surge in political discourse. The sacred occasion, a cornerstone of Bengali culture, is now intertwined with the State’s political landscape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his Mahalaya greetings in Bengali, conveying his hopes for “steadfast strength, boundless joy, and good health” through Mother Durga’s blessings. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who commenced her Durga Puja inaugurations the day prior, unveiled the ‘Jaago Bangla Utsav Edition’ and her self-penned music album, ‘Durga Angon’. ‘Jaago Bangla’, the Trinamool Congress mouthpiece, often reflects the party chairperson’s personal touch in its festive publications.
Accompanied by her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the Chief Minister emphasized the West Bengal government’s significant grant of ₹1.10 lakh to every Durga Puja committee across the State. Abhishek Banerjee seized the opportunity to critique political adversaries, recalling past sneers that suggested Durga Pujas were diminishing in West Bengal. He highlighted the inclusion of Kolkata’s Durga Puja in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a moment of profound pride for all Bengalis.
During one of her many city puja inaugurations, the Chief Minister poignantly addressed the harassment faced by Bengali migrant workers. “I do not accept the notion that speaking Bengali should lead to torture,” Ms. Banerjee asserted. She noted that approximately 22 lakh workers from West Bengal seek employment in other states, while 1.5 crore people from outside the state work within West Bengal. The issue of migrant worker targeting has been a prominent political point in recent months, and the Chief Minister skillfully integrated this message into her festive outreach.
Following Prime Minister Modi’s national address on GST rate reductions, Ms. Banerjee was quick to claim credit, stating she was the first to advocate for lowering GST on health and life insurance. “The credit for removing GST from insurance belongs to the State, not those who are now giving speeches on it,” she declared.
However, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari sharply criticized the Chief Minister for inaugurating Durga Pujas before Mahalaya, labeling it a deliberate act to “sabotage our age-old Hindu rituals and sentiments just to pander to her narrow vote-bank politics.” He condemned it as “calculated malice,” stressing that ‘Pitru Paksha’ is a period for solemn remembrance and restraint, not festivities, and that Mahalaya truly ushers in ‘Shuva Sharadiya’ (auspicious autumn).
The Chief Minister, aiming to inaugurate 3,000 Durga Pujas this season, clarified her actions. She explained repeatedly at various events that she was inaugurating the puja pandals, not the Goddess idols themselves, stating, “I will inaugurate the mother idol from the day of Mahalaya.”
On the same day as the Chief Minister’s inaugurations, Mr. Adhikari participated in a ceremony in Nandigram, honoring martyrs of the anti-forcible land acquisition movement during the Left Front government. The BJP leader further claimed that Ms. Banerjee had avoided returning to Nandigram since her defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections. With the 2026 Assembly polls on the horizon, several BJP leaders also performed ‘tarpan’ during Mahalaya in memory of party workers lost to political violence, underscoring the high stakes. The BJP leadership has reportedly invited senior figures from Delhi, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to inaugurate an ‘Operation Sindoor’-themed Durga Puja in Kolkata, amplifying the political dimension of the festival.