The BJP’s broader poll narrative in the West Bengal elections has focused to a large extent on alleged demographic changes in the border areas and undocumented immigration, linking it to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of politics of “minority appeasement”. In line with this strategy, the stump speech of several BJP leaders has contained criticism of the TMC for allegedly not providing land for fencing the border with Bangladesh. These attacks have intensified as the campaign, set to conclude on Monday, has progressed. The party has promised to allocate land for fencing within 45 days if it comes to power. The BJP had earlier raised the issue ot alleged infiltration across the Bangladesh border in elections in neighbouring Jharkhand and Bihar, as well. The country shares a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, of which 2,216 km is in Bengal. Of this, around 1,653 km has been fenced, leaving approximately 563 km unfenced, largely within the state, as per a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha in August 2025.…