1. Trinamool Congress’s independent stance in the West Bengal Lok Sabha elections prompts BJP’s strategic plan.
2. BJP aims to secure 35 parliamentary seats in West Bengal amid shifting political dynamics.
3. Previous electoral gains and anti-TMC sentiment fuel BJP’s confidence in consolidating support.
Kolkata, Feb 11: In the wake of the Trinamool Congress’s decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal independently, breaking away from the INDIA bloc, the BJP has devised a strategic plan to secure 35 parliamentary seats in the state.
This move has bolstered the BJP’s confidence in consolidating anti-TMC votes, evidenced by its surge in vote share from 17% in 2014 to 40% in 2019, resulting in 18 Lok Sabha seats.
Despite facing internal turmoil and electoral setbacks since the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP’s efforts to capitalize on corruption allegations against the Mamata Banerjee government have fallen short.
To win 35 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is now relying on emotive issues like the Ram Temple and CAA to sway voters.
Agnimitra Paul, BJP state general secretary, emphasized the significance of the Ram Temple inauguration and CAA implementation, stating that both are core issues for the party and resonate with the people of Bengal.
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The consecration of the new Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya temple in January, coinciding with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, has reignited Ram Mandir politics, reminiscent of LK Advani’s iconic ‘Mandir Wahin Banayenge’ speech during his Rath yatra.
Dilip Ghosh, BJP MP and former state president highlighted the emotive appeal of these issues, asserting their historical significance in uniting Hindu voters and addressing refugee concerns, particularly among the Matua community.
The BJP’s promise of implementing the CAA played a pivotal role in its electoral successes, with the Matua community voting en masse for the saffron camp in 2019.
The CAA, aimed at granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries, has garnered support from the Matua community, a significant portion of West Bengal’s Scheduled Caste population.
Union Minister and Matua leader Shantanu Thakur reaffirmed the impending implementation of the CAA, further galvanizing support for the BJP.
While the BJP sets its sights on securing over 35 seats, internal sources suggest a more pragmatic goal of 24. Party leaders acknowledge organizational challenges but remain steadfast in countering the Trinamool’s narrative of Bengali sub-nationalism.
The dissolution of the INDIA bloc in Bengal and the Trinamool’s decision to contest alone are seen as advantageous for the BJP, aiding in the consolidation of anti-TMC votes.
In response to the BJP’s strategy, the Trinamool Congress remains confident in its appeal to voters, dismissing the BJP’s communal politics as ineffective.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asserted that voters would support Mamata Banerjee to thwart BJP’s divisive tactics in Bengal.
Political analyst Maidul Islam noted that the BJP’s reliance on emotive issues reflects its organizational weaknesses.
Issues like the Ram Temple, Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and CAA are expected to dominate the narrative in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with polarisation and counter-polarisation at play.
