The way the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been positioning itself in this poll is not simply on the strength of an anti-incumbency wave or political rhetoric. It has meticulously planned its strategy. Never before have subaltern Hindus such as namasudras, bagdis, bauris, rajbangshis, matuas, santhals, mundas or upper caste Hindus been the main political narrative in the state the way the BJP has sold it with a fair measure of success. The BJP has made these groups its main target to reap electoral dividends.
The Assembly election in West Bengal this time around is a unique contest. Never before has the state witnessed an election like this one. For the first time in the state’s electoral history the political parties, steeped in the socio-cultural-economic ethos of Bengal, are facing the stiffest challenge from the BJP, a party advocating a right-wing, religiously coloured ideology alien to the soil of Bengal.
As the Trinamool Congress strongly continues to pitch for Bangla Nijer Maye kei Chay (Bengal wants only its own daughter), Modi made it clear at an election rally that the Trinamool’s declaration of fielding Mamata Banerjee against him in Varanasi was nothing but an admission that the TMC has already conceded defeat in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls (Picture: TEd.)
And the saffron party is fighting the polls from a position of strength. Its rise during the past two years has been so phenomenal that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has sought to project it as a party of ‘outsiders’ making it the major thrust of its campaign. That this may prove counter-productive with a sizeable number of the state population hailing from other states not taking it kindly has not bothered the party leadership. In fact, to drive home the point it has even run an unprecedented campaign that “Bangla Nijer Meye kei Chay (Bengal wants only its own daughter)” meaning its supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The campaign pitch shows how the Trinamool has been shaken by the inroads the BJP has made into its bastions and the potential it has to cause serious reverses for it and romp home with simple majority.
The BJP, on the other hand, saw in the ‘outsiders’ campaign a window of opportunity to attack the ruling Trinamool dubbing it a parochial outfit. In fact, the BJP’s mascot Prime Minister Narendra Modi has craftily used the Trinamool’s branding of his party to ridicule Mamata Banerjee and even use it to break the morale of Trinamool activists and leaders after the completion of the second phase polling where the Trinamool chief herself was pitted against her once trusted leader and minister, but now bête noire, Suvendu Adhikari. In a sly move he told an election rally that the Trinamool’s declaration that it will field Mamata Banerjee against him in his constituency – Varanasi – was nothing but an admission that the Trinamool has already conceded defeat when six phases of polling are yet to be held.
The PM then dealt another knockout punch to Mamata Banerjee by asserting that the people of Varanasi, “like the people of Bengal”, are so large-hearted that they won’t consider her as an ‘outsider’ and welcome her to be in the fray against him.
The way the BJP has been positioning itself in this poll is not simply on the strength of an anti-incumbency wave or political rhetoric. It has meticulously planned its strategy at the booth level, systematically weakened the main contender, the Trinamool, by poaching key leaders and resorted to caste-based and religion-based campaign strategy. Never before have subaltern Hindus been the main political narrative in the state the way the BJP has sold it with a fair measure of success. All political parties in the state have so long based their politics on class struggle and consolidation of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and Muslim votes. Subaltern Hindus such as namasudras, bagdis, bauris, rajbangshis, matuas, santhals, mundas or upper caste Hindus hardly featured individually in the political parties’ scheme of things. Their sordid economic plight, joblessness or low social status have never been part of the political discourse.
BJP already stormed into West Bengal in 2019 with polarisation politics when the party conceded a spectacular win of 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats (Picture courtesy: Getty Images.)
The BJP has made these groups its main target to reap electoral dividends, apart from its usual polarisation politics accusing its opponents – the Trinamool and the Left – of ‘appeasing’ the Muslims or using vote-bank politics. The results of such a politics have already been spectacular as the BJP could win 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
Bengal Assembly Poll-2021 will show whether such politics can put the BJP in the saddle of power which will have far-reaching consequences for the state and the country as a whole.
Journalist and Political Analyst. Edit writer at Orissa Post. Can be reached at udbasu@gmail.com
Opinions expressed in this article are of the author’s and do not represent the policy of The Edition. The writers are solely responsible for any claim arising out of the contents of their articles.
Tags: #WestBengalLegislativeAssemblyElection2021 #BJP #Trinamool #TMC #Polarisation #ElectionCommission #LokSabha #NarendrModi #Democracy #SubAltern #MamataBanerjee #BanglaNijerMayekeiChay
The Edition 