Kolkata: With an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) one of the key strategies of the campaign will be focusing on the achievements of the Mamata Banerjee government in the field of women empowerment and social welfare.
The party leaders will highlight how the Bengal government has created a record number of self-help groups leaving behind all the major states. The Central government has recently given recognition to the state government admitting that the Bengal government ranks in creating self-help groups in the country. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on repeated occasions claimed that Bengal is the model for other states when it comes to empowering women. Women belonging to various self-help groups have become economically independent due to the several schemes that are run by the Mamata Banerjee government. ‘Sabala Mela’ is organized every year so that the handicrafts made by several members of various self-help groups get a platform to showcase their products.
Funds of around Rs 798 crore have been allotted for the development of self-help groups in this year’s budget.
The Chief Minister had recently pointed out that her government has so far created 12 lakh self-help groups in the state. Women Trinamool Congress leaders from across the state have already started highlighting the key projects of the government which have changed the socio-economic conditions of women in the state, particularly in the
rural areas. With more than a year until the Bengal polls, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has already sounded the bugle call for the electoral battle and set a target of winning at least 215 seats in the 2026 assembly election
out of 294. On February 27, from the “mega convention” of TMC, Banerjee roared out the battle cry for 2026: “Khela abar hobe” (once more the game will be played)—echoing her 2021 rallying call, “Khela hobe” (the game will be played).