With flags fluttering in the breeze, Kolkata wears a festive look. The city is preparing for the 144-seat Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections scheduled on April 18.
But for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it doesn’t look like there is going to be a celebration any time soon.
Modi Magic Not Enough
Four months ago, riding the crest of the Modi wave, the BJP was hugely confident of making a mark in the elections to the civic body. The party worked on strengthening its numbers in Bengal and now boasts of a 38 lakh strong membership––with over 10% from the minorities.
The party, which was always perceived to be an urban entity, has also been working on strengthening its rural presence––as pointed out by BJP state committee member Shishir Bajoria. In the Krishnaganj assembly by-election, for example, BJP moved from 17% to 29%, while in the Bongaon Lok Sabha by-election they moved from 19% to 26%. “We had a non-existent presence last year,” explains Bajoria. “Today, the city of Kolkata has distinctly different visuals.”
But will the visuals of the lotus––which have now penetrated the streets and by-lanes of Bengal and are aggressively competing with Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) three-petalled flower––translate into votes for the BJP?
Most political observers feel that the division of votes between the CPI-M, BJP and Congress will find the TMC still firmly in the saddle, despite the growing disillusionment with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee is swamped with chit fund scams like Sarada and Rose Valley. She has also been embroiled in allegations of misgovernance such as legitimising hawkers who have encroached on the city’s pavements and offering tax rebates to people who paint their property blue and white.
The BJP, however, has been unable to cash in on the opportunities.
With an absence of credible candidates and a leadership vacuum at the local level, it seems like a tough road ahead for the lotus.
Mamata Didi Resurging?
Fortunately for Mamata Banerjee, the fatigue factor has set in, giving her a much needed reprieve from the raging scams that were threatening to engulf her.
Interestingly, a few months ago, there was a strong buzz that the TMC’s Dinesh Trivedi would join the BJP. Banerjee then promptly elevated him to the post of vice-president and scotched the rumours. A shrewd politician, she met the Prime Minister too, fully aware of the fact that Modi might count on her support to pass bills in the Rajya Sabha.
In an address in Bagdogra in North Bengal, a few days ago, she had said,
We feel it is always better to have the same party in the local civic bodies and in the state government. This always helps in carrying out development work.
— Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister
A helpless Opposition is looking on as her words have galvanised her party workers into flexing their muscles. TMC workers are campaigning unabashedly as representatives of the government in the state.
A week after the KMC elections, 90-odd municipalities in Bengal go to polls. Banerjee’s opponents have alleged that they have been forced to withdraw their candidates in three municipalities.
While Mamata’s might reigns supreme, the lotus flags and banners continue to sway over the city, offering a challenge.
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