KOLKATA
The Bharatiya Janata Party is poised to launch a direct attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, targeting her personally in its campaign against corruption in the state. This move marks a significant escalation in the political rhetoric between the two parties, and is likely to further intensify the already heated political atmosphere in West Bengal.
With the Lok Sabha elections looming, the West Bengal unit of the BJP has decided to change tack and attack the Trinamool Congress’ only asset—the honest image that Mamata Banerjee has enjoyed for decades.
Observers say the idea is to send the message to both the I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituents and the populace in Bengal.
“The BJP wants to chip away at Mamata’s credibility and standing within the I.N.D.I.A bloc and stop her from playing any significant role pre- and post-Lok Sabha elections,” says Biswanath Chakraborty, a political science professor at Rabindra Bharati University.
Throughout her political career, Mamata Banerjee had a unique moniker, “Satatar Prateek”, the epitome of honesty, which was based on her homespun image of the girl next door wearing Hawaii sandals. This was an image honed to perfection over the years mostly due to a friendly vernacular media.
“It is not enough to say Chor (thief) Trinamool. It is Chor Mamata,” says Banerjee’s bête noire and former confidant, Suvendu Adhikari, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
On Wednesday afternoon, as Home Minister Amit Shah took to the microphone to launch a frontal assault on the Mamata government for corruption, the Trinamool marshalled its MLAs, all clad in black clothes, and along with Mamata Banerjee, sat on a dharna (protest) in front of the statue of B.R. Ambedkar in the Assembly premises to demand that the Centre pay the funds owed to the state on account of different Central schemes.
The aim, according to Trinamool sources, was to deny Amit Shah the monopoly on the TV screen.
What transpired was quite dramatic. Suvendu Adhikari saw off Amit Shah and rushed to the Assembly and in front of the massed television cameras, started shouting: “Chor Mamata, Mamata chor”.
BJP insiders say that this is a deliberate strategy to target Mamata Banerjee’s image.
“Before the rural elections, Mamata said that she was not aware that her ministers and MLAs were indulging in corruption. She very conveniently blamed the corruption on her party-men and presented herself as innocent. We know she is going to do the same before the Lok Sabha elections as well. We are not going to let her get away with it,” says Samik Bhattacharya, the BJP’s chief spokesperson in the state.
“Mamata is the primary source of corruption and its prime beneficiary, and we are going to make the people understand that the all-pervasive corruption in all spheres could not have happened without the knowledge and active involvement of Mamata herself,” he added.
Adhir Chowdhury of the Congress agrees, even though his party and the Trinamool Congress are part of the same I.N.D.I.A. bloc, which is gearing up to challenge the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. “This time, Mamata will not find it so easy to convince people of her own innocence and integrity. The people are intelligent enough. You cannot fool all the people all the time,” he told The Sunday Guardian.
Observers say that the BJP’s decision to target the West Bengal Chief Minister directly in its anti-corruption campaign carries significant implications for the political landscape of the state.
“You can be sure that the Trinamool Congress will very aggressively defend its lone asset Mamata Banerjee,” says Biswanath Chakraborty, adding, “this will further intensify the already hostile political environment.”
“The BJP’s campaign hinges on successfully casting doubt on Banerjee’s image and associating her with corruption. However, the effectiveness of this strategy will depend on the perceptions of the electorate and the ability of the BJP to substantiate its allegations. The TMC will counter these accusations by highlighting their government’s achievements and painting the BJP’s attacks as politically motivated,” says veteran journalist Suman Chattopadhyay.
Observers say that the anti-corruption campaign against Mamata could galvanise BJP supporters and attract voters seeking change. However, it also carries the risk of mobilising TMC supporters and backfiring if the accusations lack credible evidence.
“People in the villages are aware of the Didi-Modi setting, which is why the Central investigative agencies are not going after the aunt and her nephew,” alleged Adhir Chowdhury of the Congress party.
Kunal Ghosh, the chief spokesman of the Trinamool Congress, dismisses the BJP strategy. “It is bound to fail. People of West Bengal trust MamataDi and know the BJP’s reliance on Central agencies like the ED and CBI. Whatever the migratory leaders of the BJP come and shout, the people will ignore them,” he told The Sunday Guardian.
Says CPM politburo member, Md Selim: “Everyone knows that Mamata is behind all the corruption in the state. We have been saying this for a long time. The people, the civil society organisations and the media have to play a more active role in promoting good governance and combating corruption. However, that is woefully missing in Bengal.”
Observers feel the BJP’s decision to target Banerjee personally is likely to further polarise the political climate in West Bengal. This could lead to increased tension and violence between the supporters of the two parties.