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Bengal poll campaigning takes a digital turn, but wall graffiti still has its charm
As West Bengal gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, wall art quietly shapes the city’s political canvas.
4 min readKolkataMar 24, 2026 07:59 AM IST
Wall graffiti of the Trinamool Congress seen in the Baghajatin area ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, even before the official announcement of the party’s candidate list. (Express Photo)
Written by Avantika Basu and Jigisha Seal
In the age of digital campaigns, wall paintings and graffiti continue to remain a powerful medium for political expression in the streets of West Bengal. As the state gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, wall art quietly shapes the city’s political canvas despite the influx of banners and posters.
BJP spokesperson Prithwiraj Mukherjee, who has been involved in wall painting for the past few years, solely out of his dedication for the party, shares that he is not getting paid for the same. “We never ask painters from outside… the party members do it willingly,” said Mukherjee. Describing the BJP as a “party with difference”, Mukherjee claimed unlike them, parties like TMC rely on paid painters. For Mukherjee, wall painting is his way of contributing to the party’s growth in the state. Despite the growing influence of social media, Mukherjee feels that wall painting will never fade. He called it a “legacy of Bengal politics.” People willingly offer their walls to paint BJP symbols, he claimed.
“We do this for the party”, said businessman and TMC supporter Saibal Dey, stating that most participants share the same motivation. Dey said that a few wall paintings are based on party orders, especially the ones related to government schemes. We also hire painters to do the wall arts and writings and the party pays them, he added.
On being asked if there are objections, Dey said, “Some people permit us to paint the walls of their homes while in some cases, we get a no-objection certificate.”
Despite the growing prevalence of social media campaigns and digital posters among the newer generation, in Dey’s opinion, wall art continues to hold its ground.
For school teacher Amit Das, also a BJP supporter, wall painting has been both a passion and a profession. Having spent nearly 15 years in this field, he shared that it started as a hobby but gradually became a part of his life. Das, however, offers a perspective that contrasts with some party claims. He said that painters do get paid for their work, adding that “everyone gets paid.”
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Das’s political journey has not been limited to one party. In the past, he was associated with the CPI(M) through the SFI (Student Federation of India).
Unlike many, Das, who works in the educational department at Sodepur High School, always seeks permission before painting on walls. However, he recalled situations where consent was complicated. While one family member might agree, another could object later, forcing him to stop, he shared.
CPI(M) supporter Arijit Chowdhury said he had first ventured into the world of calligraphy and wall writing when he was just 16. His story takes you back three decades, to the Lok Sabha elections of 1989, at the time CPI(M)- led Left Front was the party in power.
“Back then there was no payment involved… the members did it voluntarily out of devotion for the party,” he said, sharing, he once wrote on over 500 walls during elections.
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The CPI(M) used to arrange workshops where the art of wall writing and calligraphy, what colour of paint and the amount to be used, how brushes are to be held and how each brushstroke is executed were taught, said Chowdhury.
To him, wall art continues to be an eminent form of expression during political seasons.
(Avantika Basu and Jigisha Seal are interns with The Indian Express, Kolkata)
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