Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at Andal’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport via a special flight on Friday evening, only to launch a blistering attack on the Central Government. Stepping off the plane, she immediately addressed the ongoing LPG shortage and warned the Centre against diverting cooking gas produced in West Bengal to other states.

“Cooking gas produced within Bengal must stay in Bengal. We will not allow our resources to be sent outside while our own people are struggling with shortages,” Mamata declared. She accused the BJP-led Centre of political bias, alleging that it was prioritizing other regions over the needs of Bengal’s households.

Her remarks come at a time when global energy supplies are volatile due to the West Asia conflict. However, the CM framed it as a local versus central rights issue. She emphasized that the people of Bengal have the first right over the state’s natural resources. “We won’t tolerate a situation where our sisters and mothers suffer due to artificial scarcity created by the Centre’s mismanagement,” she added.

While her visit was part of the ongoing election campaign for the 2026 Assembly polls, her focus on the gas crisis has resonated strongly with the middle-class electorate. By taking a firm stand at Andal, Mamata has signaled that TMC will make energy security and “Central deprivation” a core theme in the final legs of the election.