Bangladeshi media is also in turmoil over BJP’s lead in Bengal, questions raised on Election Commission

New Delhi: Trends from the West Bengal Assembly Elections show the Bharatiya Janata Party leading in nearly 200 seats, well above the 148-degree majority mark. The BJP’s lead in West Bengal is also being widely discussed in neighboring Bangladesh. The media there is reporting live election results and analyzing the BJP’s potential victory.

A local Bangladeshi newspaper, Pratham Alo, published an analytical article titled, “West Bengal Elections: The future of not just the state but the Indian Republic is at stake.” The article states, “This year’s West Bengal Assembly elections will be remembered in Indian electoral history for two reasons. First, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which deprived a large number of people of their right to vote. And second, the unprecedented deployment of central forces to ensure a violence-free election.”

A BJP victory would be a milestone for the party.
The article states that a BJP victory in Bengal would be a major milestone for the party. This would be a victory for the BJP in states that have been considered difficult to win (the other two being Tamil Nadu and Kerala). If this victory is achieved, it will come on the back of Hindutva-based polarization. This would prove that Hindi-belt Hindutva has now become deeply ingrained in the hearts of Bengalis as well. Bengalis have long been identified with a syncretic Hindu tradition.

The article further stated, “While a BJP victory could pave the way for large-scale industrialization and central funding in the state, it could also threaten the existence of the Trinamool Congress.” The Bangladeshi newspaper wrote that without a strong ideological base like the Left, the question will be how long the party will survive after an electoral defeat. Just as Trinamool had mobilized grassroots workers from the Left during the Singur-Nandigram movement, will those same workers shift to the BJP in the event of defeat? This could further expose the party’s internal weaknesses.

Bangladeshi newspaper raises questions on Election Commission
Bangladeshi media is also discussing alleged irregularities in the West Bengal elections. An opinion article published in ‘The Daily Star’ wrote, “The Election Commission of India has a glorious tradition. But it would not be wrong to say that today’s Election Commission has lost its luster. The Special Intensive Review (SIR) process for updating voter lists seems appropriate, but the way it was implemented in West Bengal has angered a large number of voters.”

According to Election Commission data, approximately 9.1 million names were initially removed from voter lists after SIR. SIR is a process that scrutinizes the list to remove ineligible, duplicate, or suspicious names. However, several instances have emerged where people’s names were allegedly removed incorrectly. In some cases, husbands and children were voters but wives were not, and in others, individuals who had served in the military for years were removed from the list. Even family members of prominent figures like Netaji Subhas Bose or Nandalal Basu were told they could not vote.

What did the Bangladesh newspaper say about the minority issue?
The Bangladeshi newspaper further wrote, “The Muslim issue has also been a key part of the BJP’s campaign. Leader Suvendu Adhikari often says that there are approximately 10 million Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas in West Bengal. This number is quite large, but where are they? And why would they come to West Bengal, where people themselves are migrating to other states for employment? Despite all this effort, the Election Commission failed to identify a single infiltrator in this entire process, which Prime Minister Modi has often mentioned in his speeches.”

However, the article also criticized the Trinamool Congress. The article wrote, “The Trinamool Congress also has its weaknesses. It has been accused of extortion, large-scale corruption, and political conspiracies.” Another Bangladeshi newspaper, The Financial Express, wrote that the Trinamool is heading for defeat in West Bengal. The newspaper wrote, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has held the post for nearly 15 years, now faces a serious challenge as her party is trailing in vote counting. Early trends indicate a turnaround in the state.”

The Bangladeshi newspaper “Dainik Ittefaq” has clearly stated that the BJP has won in Bengal. The newspaper headlined its report, “Despite trailing Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur, the BJP forms government
in West Bengal.” The newspaper writes, “The BJP is on the verge of writing a new chapter in West Bengal’s political history, potentially ending the decade-and-a-half-long rule of the Trinamool Congress. According to the latest Election Commission data, BJP workers have begun celebrating the victory across the state.”

The newspaper further writes, “In the high-profile constituency of Bhawanipur, however, Mamata Banerjee is still maintaining a lead. After the sixth round of counting, she is ahead of BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari by 7,200 votes. However, Suvendu is not disappointed with this result. He claims that so far, only votes have been counted from the area considered Mamata’s core vote bank, and the results will swing completely in the BJP’s favor in the coming phases.”