Kolkata. The politics of West Bengal has once again become heated. Before the upcoming assembly elections, Amit Shah has created a new stir in the political environment by releasing BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ in Kolkata. The promises made in this manifesto seem to directly challenge the major schemes of Mamata Banerjee and her government.
Focus on women and poor class
BJP has played its biggest bet on women. In comparison to Mamata government’s ‘Lakshmi Bhandar’ scheme, the party has promised to give ₹3000 per month to every woman. This announcement is being considered as a strategy to woo women voters especially, who play a decisive role in the politics of Bengal.
Big promises for youth and farmers
The manifesto talks about giving monthly allowance of ₹ 1500 to unemployed youth. At the same time, a promise of providing financial assistance of ₹ 9000 annually to the farmers is also included. Through these announcements, BJP has tried to strengthen its presence in the rural and youth vote bank.
Strict stance on UCC and law and order
Amit Shah made it clear that if BJP comes to power, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented within six months. Besides, it has also been promised to form a special commission to investigate political violence and take strict action against corruption. These issues have been at the center of Bengal politics for a long time.
‘Son of Bengal’ and local leadership
BJP has also indicated that the Chief Minister of the state will be a local face, who is being called the ‘son of Bengal’. This step is believed to have been taken keeping regional identity in mind, so that the debate of outsider versus local can be balanced.
women reservation and employment
The promise of 33% women reservation in government jobs is also an important part of the manifesto. Through this, the party has tried to address the issues of women empowerment and employment simultaneously.
Will Mamta’s fort be shaken?
The biggest question is whether these promises will be able to make a dent in Mamata Banerjee’s strong vote bank? In the last elections, TMC had a strong hold among women voters and rural areas. In such a situation, this aggressive manifesto of BJP directly challenges that very premise.
However, how much impact the election promises will have on the ground will depend on many factors such as the strength of the organization, the image of the local candidates and the election environment. But it is certain that this ‘election move’ of Amit Shah has made the politics of West Bengal more interesting.
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