Issues like power-hungry corruption cases that came to light during the Mamata government, repression of opponents, allegations of exploitation of women from RG Kar Medical College to Sandeshkhali, promotion of Muslim fundamentalism, unemployment, migration and slow pace of development are going against Trinamool Congress. For this reason, this time BJP seems to be in a position to give him a tough fight.
Mamata Banerjee is protesting against ED raids.
Amit Shah's visit strengthened BJP's election strategy.
Infiltration and corruption a challenge for Trinamool Congress.
Avadhesh Kumar. The political temperature of West Bengal seems to be reaching its peak. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is protesting on the issue of Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid in the office of Kolkata-based political consulting firm IPAC in a money laundering case. Mamta says that BJP is trying to seize the internal data of the party by raiding the house of Trinamool Congress's IT chief through ED. In this context, the recent three-day visit of Home Minister Amit Shah to Bengal was very important for the BJP from the electoral point of view.
He clarified the party's issues through press conferences, held meetings with MPs, MLAs and prominent leaders and interacted with workers. Giving the message of forming a government in Bengal like Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah said that instead of the politics of fear, corruption, misgovernance and infiltration, the resolve to form a strong government of development, heritage and poor welfare is visible among the people of Bengal.
Congress started from Bengal, but today it is at zero there and even the Left Front, which ruled for 34 years, could not win a single seat in the last assembly elections. In contrast, BJP emerged as the main opposition party with 41 percent votes and 77 seats. Even though BJP's seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may have decreased compared to 2019, but 39 percent votes and 12 seats show that it has developed a solid support base parallel to Trinamool Congress. In such a situation, if BJP is claiming to form the government in the assembly elections to be held this year, then it cannot be dismissed as mere exaggeration. Although in 2021 also BJP contested the elections with similar confidence, but Trinamool was left far behind Congress.
The political atmosphere in Bengal has changed a lot today as compared to 2021. The events in the neighboring country Bangladesh have affected the entire country. Being a border state, the impact on Bengal is more. In Bengal, about 30 percent Muslim voters and a large section of voters with anti-BJP leftist thinking have been the strength of Trinamool Congress. It is generally believed that either there is a deep division in Muslim votes or there is widespread polarization of Hindu votes in favor of BJP, only then a change of power is possible. Trinamool, which has taken an aggressive stance against the government, is neither making sharp statements nor holding any major protests on the violence in Bangladesh, especially against Hindus. In the last few years, Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards of 24 Parganas region have been found in the hands of infiltrators caught outside Bengal, which has proved that infiltration has taken place from Bangladesh during the Left Front and then Mamata government.
Even during Special Intensive Review (SIR), many infiltrators were found saying that they had been living here for a long time and had identity cards. He also admitted to voting. This situation was not there in 2021. Despite this, Mamata Banerjee's denial of this fact and questioning Home Minister Amit Shah whether you had organized the terrorist attack in Pahalgam can be acceptable only to the staunch opponents of the BJP. Everyone knows that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is linked to Pakistan sponsored terrorism and the Pahalgam attack was a part of it.
Infiltration can be stopped by keeping a strict siege on the Bengal border. Amit Shah has also said that such a cordon will be laid that not a single intruder can enter. In an effort to keep the Muslim votes united, Mamata seems to be taking the same steps which she had been opposing during the Leftist rule. The violence against non-Muslims, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh and increasing fundamentalism have forced Hindu voters to think afresh. In this background, the laying of the foundation of Babri Masjid by Humayun Kabir in Murshidabad and the gathering of a large number of people there every Friday, along with the inflow of huge funds, has also given rise to a feeling of reconsideration among the Hindu voters.
Even in the last assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee had recited Chandi from the stage to show herself as a loyal Hindu. This time also there have been indications of announcement of construction of Durga Aangan and Mahakal Temple in Siliguri before the elections. It appears that Mamata Banerjee has realized the changed political environment and is adopting the strategy of partial polarization to prevent Hindu votes from going to BJP on a large scale. Issues like power-hungry corruption cases that came to light during the Mamata government, repression of opponents, allegations of exploitation of women from RG Kar Medical College to Sandeshkhali, promotion of Muslim fundamentalism, unemployment, migration and slow pace of development are going against Trinamool Congress. For this reason, this time BJP seems to be in a position to give him a tough fight.
(The author is a senior journalist and political analyst)
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