After being in power in West Bengal for 15 years, Trinamool Congress is facing the challenge of not only saving its government in the assembly elections but also regaining power for the fourth consecutive time.
Kolkata: The political atmosphere has become heated regarding the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, one of the major political states of India. While the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is trying to return to power for the fourth consecutive time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making the election contest more difficult this time with an aggressive campaign.
TMC, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has maintained a strong hold in the state politics for almost one and a half decade, is in the electoral fray on the basis of welfare schemes and social alliance, while BJP is making organizational strength, national issues and allegations of corruption its main weapons.
TMC trusts welfare schemes and social alliance
The election campaign of Trinamool Congress is mainly based on those schemes which have directly benefited the rural and economically weaker sections of the state. Schemes like Laxmi Bhandar, Kanyashree, and Swasthya Sathi have strengthened the party’s hold among women, students, and poor families. The party leadership believes that due to these schemes there is support at the grassroots level. Apart from this, TMC has also made Bengali language and cultural identity an election issue, thereby trying to strengthen regional sentiments.
Before the elections, the party has made a major organizational change and replaced about one-third of the MLAs. TMC has declared candidates for 291 seats and it is being described as a strategy to change the generation and strengthen the organization.
Emphasis on BJP’s aggressive strategy and organization
BJP is relying on its strong organization and network extending up to the booth level in this election. The party had performed well in the 2021 assembly elections, after which it has further strengthened its structure in the state. Issues like development, national security, and cultural identity are prominent in BJP’s election campaign. Along with this, the party is continuously accusing the state government of corruption, cut money, and administrative bias.
The continuous rallies and campaign campaigns of the central leadership show that BJP is trying its best to regain power this time. Political analysts believe that BJP’s aggressive stance can turn the elections into a triangular or multi-cornered contest.
Competition further complicated by entry of new parties
A new political turn came in this election when former TMC leader Humayun Kabir announced to contest the elections by forming his new party Aam Janata Unnayan Party. He announced that his party will field candidates on 182 seats and there may also be coordination with other parties on some seats. Kabir himself is preparing to contest elections from Rezinagar and Naoda seats of Murshidabad district.
Earlier he had been MLA from Bharatpur seat. With his entry, the possibility of division of votes has increased, especially in Muslim dominated areas, which may affect the equations of both TMC and BJP. Issues related to voter list, identity verification and administrative processes also remain a topic of discussion in the electoral environment. The opposition is raising questions about these procedures, while the ruling party says that the elections are being conducted completely according to the rules.
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