With Mamata Banerjee's assistance, RSS has expanded its presence in West Bengal

On Sunday, April 20, 2025, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of indirectly facilitating the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the state. The accusation intensified the already charged political atmosphere in Bengal. Senior CPI(M) leaders made the remarks during a public rally in Kolkata, alleging that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's policies and selective appeasement had enabled the Hindutva organization to establish a significant foothold in the state's social and political spheres.

CPI(M) Alleges Tacit Support

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim pulled no punches, accusing the TMC supremo of playing a “double game”—publicly opposing the BJP on the national stage while allegedly clearing the path for the RSS at the grassroots level. Addressing a gathering of party workers at Park Circus, Salim remarked, “Mamata Banerjee speaks of fighting communal forces, yet her government has silently allowed the RSS to expand its ideology across districts.”

According to Salim and other CPI(M) leaders, Mamata filled the vacuum left by the weakening of the Left and Congress with populist policies and symbolic overtures. In doing so, they argue, she created an opening for the RSS to solidify its presence—an outcome they claim would have been inconceivable a decade ago. They criticize her government for treating the Sangh Parivar with leniency and for failing to clamp down on its activities.

RSS on the Rise in Bengal

The RSS has reportedly extended its network of shakhas (branches) and affiliated organizations—such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)—into both urban and rural areas of the state. Once a fringe presence in Bengal’s socio-political landscape, the RSS has steadily gained ground over the past decade, according to political analysts. A 2023 report by a Delhi-based think tank revealed that the number of active RSS shakhas in West Bengal had increased from around 800 in 2012 to over 3,000 by 2022. Notably, many of these are concentrated in districts like North 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar, Nadia, and Purulia—regions that have also demonstrated growing support for the BJP in recent elections.

CPI(M) leaders claim that such expansion would not have been possible without the TMC government's tacit approval or administrative indifference. “If Mamata were truly serious about fighting communal politics, she would have taken firm steps to curb the RSS. Instead,” said CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, “we see their events continuing unhindered, their literature being circulated freely, and their cadre operating fearlessly.”

TMC Dismisses the Charges

The Trinamool Congress swiftly dismissed CPI(M)’s allegations, calling them politically motivated and baseless. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the CPI(M) was merely trying to cling to relevance by spinning conspiracy theories. “This is a familiar tactic—blame others for your own failures,” Ghosh said at a press conference. “The people of Bengal see through such negative politics.”

He asserted that Mamata Banerjee has always stood firmly against communalism and would continue to do so. Ghosh further accused the CPI(M) of having indirectly empowered the BJP in the past by splitting the secular vote and failing to present a credible alternative. “It’s ironic that they now point fingers at us when their own authoritarian rule sowed the seeds of BJP’s rise,” he said, adding that Mamata remains the most prominent secular leader in Indian politics.

BJP Welcomes the Controversy

In a surprising twist, the BJP appeared amused by the CPI(M)’s allegations. Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defected from the TMC ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, claimed that the Left was finally acknowledging the shifting political winds in Bengal. “The CPI(M) is waking up to the ground reality,” Adhikari stated. “People in Bengal are embracing the RSS’s message of nationalism and discipline because they are tired of divisive politics and years of misrule.”

Adhikari insisted that the rise of the RSS was not due to Mamata or any political figure, but rather a reflection of a larger ideological shift in Bengal’s population. “The people themselves are rejecting decades of political violence and failed governance,” he added.

Strategy and Polarization

Political analysts believe the CPI(M)’s fresh offensive is a calculated attempt to regain lost ground in Bengal’s political battlefield. Since its defeat in 2011, the Left Front has steadily lost relevance. According to political commentator and former Rabindra Bharati University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, “The CPI(M) is attempting to rebrand itself as the ‘true’ secular alternative to both the BJP and the TMC by attacking Mamata on the RSS issue.”

He noted that despite the CPI(M)'s effort to reclaim ideological purity, Mamata Banerjee still enjoys substantial support among minority voters. “Whether these statements actually translate into electoral momentum is a different question from whether they energize the cadre,” Chaudhury remarked.

A Complicated Road to 2026

As West Bengal gears up for the 2026 assembly elections, the political terrain is becoming increasingly complex. Despite rising dissatisfaction over corruption, unemployment, and failing public services, the TMC retains a dominant position. Meanwhile, the BJP continues to solidify its base in constituencies it captured in the 2021 Assembly and 2024 General Elections.

The CPI(M) is betting on ideological clarity and anti-incumbency sentiment to make a comeback, buoyed by a recent resurgence in labor and student movements. Presently, the party is trying to project the TMC and BJP as two sides of the same coin—a narrative that resonates with some urban youth and intellectuals but is yet to yield widespread electoral success.