New Delhi: "It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Pakistan that is a bigger threat to India," said a prominent farmers' leader Balbir Singh Rajewal in Kolkata. Statements such as this can certainly backfire on Trinamool Congress.
In the words of Saralu Murmu, a former Trinamool leader who joined BJP on March 8, "Mamata Banerjee's politics and days of power were political tragedy. There was tragedy of ignorance and none could function at the local level". There were other lapses which not only contributed to her downfall, but has immensely helped BJP's growth prospects.
Can we say, it's all a case of writing on the wall now?
Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha joining Trinamool Congress on Saturday (March 13) only shows that frustration and desperation are ruling the roost in the Mamata camp.
Mamata's 'Bohiragoto (outsiders)' tag against central BJP leaders was such a misguided missile. Sinha is certainly an outsider to Bengal by Trinamool Congress own definition.
There is yet another illustration of desperation in Mamata camp vis-a-vis Nandigram and the rest of the state. Thus farmer leaders from north India are being brought in.
"It is PM Modi and not Pakistan that is a bigger threat to India," said Balbir Singh Rajewal addressinga mahapanchayat in Kolkata.
Long back, Justice V R Krishna Iyer had said that this is an era of guided missiles and misguided politicians. This seems to be prophetic for Mamata. She was 'misguided' to the level that she has ended up harming her political interests.
"For her voters even a year ago, Mamata was immensely popular. But her Bohiragoto (outsiders) tag for BJP central leaders was uncalled for. Here she was clearly misguided," says Sushanto Maity, an analyst, in Durgapur.
If Prime Minister Modi is a terrific vote-catcher for his party, undoubtedly so has Mamata herself for Trinamool.
But, according to a businessman Moidul Hussain in Raniganj in south Bengal, a message has gone that she could be defeated. "This has made Muslim voters nervous and hence they are beginning to bank on ISF leader Abbas Siddiqui," he says. .
"Now there are certain pockets where Trinamool was strong like in Muslim-dominated seats, the Left-Congress-ISF alliance is making an impact. Here Trinamool is banking on cadres and musclemen but phased elections by Election Commission would make things only difficult for Trinamool," he says.
The division among Muslim vote share due to Islamic fundamentalist Abbas Siddiqui factor would actually hit the last nail in the coffin for Trinamool Congress which could oust the communists in 2011.
In fact, she overdid that 'appeasement' towards Muslims and this has partly boomeranged provoking the Hindu voters.
Mamata's Muslim appeasement card is a major election issue and is being suitably used by the BJP leaders in fullest possibilities. No doubt, the BJP leaders during house to house campaign do not forget to say that the Mamata regime even had slapped restrictions even on August 5, 2020 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done Bhoomipujan at Ayodhya.
Suvendu Adhikari raises his voice every time he mentions how Mamata had stalled Durga Visarjan (immersion).
The crucial political message in Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh's voice is not lost. "Now.....people are ready for Mamata Visarjan (to dump Mamata) in polls".
Political observers say these came even a year after, she gave away as many as 18 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in the 2019 general elections. In fact, the saffron party's vote share had shot up to to 41 percent but Mamata was still 'adamant' about her anti-Hindu stance.
Thus, now when she ran from temple to temple at Nandigram, where she created a self-inflicted battle against Suvendu Adhikari, people are generally responding with ridicules.
The slogan “Unish-e-half; Ekushe Saaf” — "Trinamool strength reduced half in 2019, and would be uprooted in 2021" therefore appears pragmatic and achievable.
Undoubtedly, on Sunday, March 7 at the historic Brigade rally, Prime Minister Modi echoed the same sentiment - "TMC ka khel khatam (Trinamool game is over)".
A youngster Nikhil Karmakar (23) summed up the entire situation well. "I might be confused on who should be the next Chief Minister of West Bengal. But my mind is clear, it should not be Mamata Banerjee or her nephew Abhishek". Therefore, he attended the Kolkata rally.
His compatriot, Nabendu Pal, a resident from Barasat, made it more specific. "I am sure the next Chief Minister will be from the BJP as my state and its helpless citizens are awaiting for a genuine poriborton (change)".
Thousands of youngsters, women and senior citizens who came up for the rally shared the same enthusiasm for the BJP.
In fact, the Prime Minister also spoke about the same -- "ashol poriborton". Modi's speech had key elements and political substance.
"West Bengal has reposed faith in Mamata Banerjee to bring in change but she betrayed the people and insulted them. This Brigade Ground has been witness to many great leaders and also witnessed those who have disrupted West Bengal's progress," he said directing his tirade against both Trinamool andthe Left-Congress-ISF alliance.
But he pointed out the important political message of the day, "People of Bengal never left their hopes for change".
It is this 'genuine change' they are waiting for and now things appear within a striking distance.
While the bulk of the anti-Mamata votes that went to the Left and the Congress (even in 2016) shifted en masse to the saffron party fold, there is no denying that much of the groundwork was done by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In fact, the Sangh brought in their 'pracharak' from Andamans - Dilip Ghosh, who alongside Kailash Vijayvargiya, Arvind Menon and besides Amit Shah and J P Nadda, could organise the party cadres very well.
"None should forget the manner Dilip Ghosh and countless RSS workers toiled over the months. A shift among the non-Muslim classes like tribals, Scheduled Castes and other vulnerable groups have brought in the magic," says Durgapur-based Sushanto Maity.
The CAA law is also aimed to bringing in Matua voters closer to the BJP. The Matuas are a socially deprived community, called 'Namasudras' numbering 25-30 million and they can influence outcome in 20-25 assembly segments.
The hard work started paying off. Likes of Mukul Roy and lately Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee jumping the ship actually showed that Mamata-Abhishek (Pishi-Bhaipo) duo was gradually getting marginalised.
The BJP's allegations of 'tola-baazi (extortion)' and massive corruption of the 'syndicate' against Mamata's powerful nephew stuck.
Thus, Abhishek Banerjee is about to dubbed in the history as Mamata's 'Sanjay Gandhi' - something 'politically sensitive' Bengalis would never approve of.
In the meantime, Siliguri-based Ramakanto Shanyal says, Mamata Banerjee had blundered in trusting advisors like Derek O' Brien and nephew (Abhishek).
Didi marginalised senior colleagues like Partha Chatterjee, Sisir Adhikari and Sudip Bandyopadhyay presuming their style of functioning had cost her many Lok Sabha seats
In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP did well in north Bengal and some select pockets like Durgapur and Asansol. Union Minister Babul Supriyo returned to Lok Sabha twice from Asansol - 2014 and 2019 while S S Ahluwalia, shifted from Darjeeling, could win Bardhaman-Durgapur defeating Mamata's close aide Mamtaz Sanghamita.
"Now, South Bengal seats and districts of 24 North and South Parganas and segments along Bangladesh borders Malda and South Dinajpur would also back BJP," says teacher Jhantu Dey in Asansol.
He cites the illustration of desertion of leaders like Dinesh Trivedi as a clear case of Mamata sidelining her 'well wishers and lieutenants' of many years.
Hence, a day after Modi's rally, Trinamool Congress was hit with a major exodus. So much is growing disenchantment against Trinamool on ground that despite being given a ticket from Habibpur, Sarala Murmu, joined the Lotus party.
"What can be worse than their (Trinamool) own members and dedicated leaders feeling humiliated and eventually leaving the party? Now Trinamool is getting celebrities to fill in the position," said BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.
Another key leader, 80-year-old Rabindranath Bhattacharya, a prominent face of the Singur movement, also jumped the ship.
Mukul Roy, onetime Mamata lieutenant, welcomed the veteran leader stating Bhattacharya's move saying this finally makes it clear how the Mamata Banerjee government has failed those who voted overwhelmingly in 2011 and also 2016.
Now, nothing can be more ironical than the fact that both Nandigram and Singur 'mass-level legislators' are in the BJP camp.
"We told you so....," says Dilip Ghosh adding, "By the time elections are held, Mamata Banerjee's isolation will be complete".
Frustrated at the manner things are moving, Trinamool leader Tapas Roy said the Congress and the Left should also join the alliance with Mamata’s party. Dilip Ghosh made opportune use of the same and said, “Trinamool has realised that it is impossible for them to fight BJP. Real Poribortan (change) is on cards and so people of Bengal realise that they need BJP and no longer needs Mamata”.
ISF leader Abbas sounds Didi's political death-knell
Kolkata: "We will turn her into a big zero" and "Mamata key amra udhvav korey chharbo (In coming days we will uproot
Mamata Banerjee from West Bengal)" - screamed Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader Abbas Siddiqui as he shared
stage with Leftists doyens and senior Congress leaders for the Left-Congress-ISF rally at the historic and spacious Brigade Ground here.
"Aajkey Banglar ei sadhinata key kerechhey ei Mamata (This is the same Mamata Banerjee who has deprived Bengal its freedom)," said Abbas Siddiqui amid cheers by the large gathering.
Most Left and Congress leaders helplessly gave Abbas Siddiqui a patient hearing though in the past most
of them if not all had done some business with Mamata Banerjee one way or the other.
The ISF is a newly launched political outfit in poll-bound Bengal and is known for trying to cater to the interests of
the Muslims, who form a substantial 30 per cent voters in Trinamool Congress-ruled state.
The 34-year-old ISF chief patron Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui is a greenhorn in electoral politics but his family has been
associated Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district, one of the holiest Mazars - often taken as second only to Ajmer Sharif.
The ISF's entry into the fray has made this year's poll equation quite complex as good show by this newly floated party
could mark a significant impact on the vote share and Muslim support base of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
Ms Banerjee has earned ridicule from various quarters in the state following her open
appeasement policies towards Muslims.
Notably, the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi also rather secretly
had a meeting with Abbas Siddiqui.
Hence his rhetoric makes lot of sense as most of what the ISF leader said was directed against Trinamool Congress
and its omnipotent supremo Mamata.
Abbas Siddiqui further said, "This is the same Mamata who has taken away the rights of Bengal women.....We will turn
her into a big zero".
Though he targeted the BJP, which has emerged as a dominant force in the state in last two years, Abbas's motive was
clear that he wants the ouster of Mamata Banerjee.
However, he said had the Left-ISF had been announced earlier, he could have brought a larger crowd for the Brigade Ground
show.
"People of West Bengal are aggrieved, anguished and fed up with the Mamata Banerjee government. For last so many
years, she has shown and abused the government apparatus and threatened the people. But we need not fear Didimoni any more," said
Siddiqui adding her powers have been already taken away by the Election Commission.
"Please remember after a month entire Bengal will go out of Mamata's grip....," said Siddiqui, adding "We (Left-Congress-ISF) will capture Bengal in days to come".
Siddiqui, however, sounded his displeasure with Congress leaders for failure so far to finalise seat sharing agreement and said,
"We have come for seeking our genuine rights and not come for any appeasement of anyone".
The Left agreed to leave 30 seats for Siddiqui's party as part of the Left-Congress-ISF alliance.
Speaking on the occasion among others, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the large turnout has made him believe
that the front will do well.
But he also remained skeptical about the turnout not transforming into votes and urged the entire gathering to exercise their
franchise on the voting day(s).
West Bengal is going for eight phase polls beginning March 27.
ends
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