West Bengal: The Defining Play In Nandigram
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-04-01 06:45:49
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The game is truly on in West Bengal and the most important play will be carried out today in Nandigram where the state's chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee takes on former loyalist and now BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari in a highly charged contest. Just a day before the voting, Mamata called Adhikari a "venomous snake" and said that she had unfortunately fed milk (dudh-kola) to rear a black, venomous snake which (who) is now spewing poison on her. This was the culmination of the often slanderous barbs both parties have thrown at each other.
The way Nandigram votes will perhaps define the way future politics will take shape in the state. For, although the Nandigram and Singur agitations propelled Mamata Banerjee to power on the 'poriborton' (change) plank and destroyed the assiduously built Left citadel, the change which Mamata Banerjee promised in terms of bringing industry and jobs to the state has not been fulfilled in the last 10 years. There is no doubt that Mamata has run a good show and all social indicators - with many of her schemes winning national and international laurels - are there to prove it. But West Bengal has fallen behind in manufacturing and has become more a state of traders. The state has also lost its position in education and students from the states go to Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Noida and other places for higher education. Lack of jobs has resulted in huge migration.
But the elections in West Bengal are not about the TMC or the BJP. They are mainly about Mamata and the BJP. She is the tallest and by far the most popular leader in the state. She has the backing of the minorities and the women of the state. The minorities feel that if the BJP comes to power, they will lose their political power. Although experts feel that the Muslim vote will be divided this time with the formation of the ISF and its alliance with the Left-Congress combine (and this will take votes away from the TMC), there is a counter-view that argues that the Muslims might vote for the TMC to keep the BJP away. Although the results will be out on May 2, one thing is clear - these will be the most closely fought elections in the history of the state.
