BONGAON, November 25, 2025 – West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee today unleashed a fiery accusation of “political sabotage” against the BJP following the abrupt cancellation of her scheduled helicopter ride to Bongaon for a political rally. The Chief Minister was forced to make a two-hour road journey instead, leading her to issue a stern warning: “Don’t try to play with me. You won’t be able to fight and defeat me politically.”
The incident occurred this morning, just hours before her planned arrival. Ms. Banerjee was scheduled to land in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas, at 12:30 pm. However, she informed the rally crowd that she received a message around 10:00 am stating that the hired helicopter “would not fly,” despite all arrangements being booked in advance.
The Cancellation and Counter-Claim
Addressing a massive rally, held amidst growing public concern over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Chief Minister directly linked the cancellation to her political opponents.
“For the last seven-eight months, I did not travel by helicopter. Today I had planned to come here and then go to Thakurnagar. Everything was booked in advance. But at 10 in the morning, the message came that the helicopter won’t go! This is for political reasons,” Ms. Banerjee alleged.
Official Explanation: A top state bureaucrat, however, provided a different reason for the grounded chopper. According to the official, the planned trip was cancelled after state officials discovered that the aircraft assigned for the Chief Minister’s journey was reportedly operating with an expired licence.
Road Journey Turns into Public Outreach
Undeterred by the delay and inconvenience, Ms. Banerjee travelled the approximately 104 km from Kolkata to Bongaon by road, reaching the venue around 2:00 pm. She turned the unexpected road journey into a powerful campaign narrative.
“Before elections begin, they have started creating hurdles. But it didn’t help them. In fact, it helped me. On the way, I met so many people. It became a great public outreach,” she stated, emphasizing her spontaneous connection with the common people.
Warning to the Opposition
The Trinamool Congress supremo sharpened her attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), warning them against any attempts to intimidate her or disrupt her campaign.
“Don’t try to play with me,” she warned, asserting that she mostly travels by road and is “not dependent” on air transport. “I cannot be cornered,” she declared, reiterating her political resilience.
The remarks come at a time of heightened political tension in the state, particularly concerning the SIR exercise which the TMC has strongly opposed, linking it to reported fatalities and panic in some districts.
