Surge in vote share in Bengal ignited hopes for BJP, Shah to oversee preparations
Synopsis
Mamata Banerjee however clarified that the ministers were relieved as they wanted to invest more time in organisational work in their respective constituencies.
By Madhuparna Das, ET Bureau
The results of the just-concluded panchayat elections in West Bengal and the consistent growth in vote share in most of the constituencies where elections have been held so far have ignited big hopes for the BJP. These are probably the reasons why BJP national president Amit Shah is visiting the state from June 27-28 after an eight-month hiatus.
Sources said leaders from all these targeted seats have been summoned to the city to give details on the preparation. One of the measures that Shah undertook last time was to put party workers at every booth. The violence that took place during the panchayat elections –– largely between TMC and BJP —points out that the saffron brigade has partially succeeded.
Among the green shoots the BJP has been seeing in the state is its vote share growing from 35% from a meagre 8% in Mahestala assembly constituency, even though the party ranked a distant second.
Political observers said the ripple effect of the growth of BJP’s base is creating fear in the Trinamool Congress ranks as the party witnessed massive erosion in its tribal support base. In at least five districts with tribal population –– three in Junglemahal and two in north Bengal –– TMC lost many panchayats to BJP. TMC suffered maximum loss in Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia, bordering Jharkhand where BJP won in almost 30-40% of the panchayat seats.
Following this, chief minister Mamata Banerjee removed three ministers from her Cabinet, two of whom are TMC’s tribal leaders –– backward classes welfare minister Churamoni Mahato and tribal development minister James Kujur.
Commenting on the sudden removal of three ministers late Tuesday evening, BJP’s national general secretary said, “These are the symptoms of nervous breakdown. Moreover, the way TMC has attacked and killed our members, it clearly shows how frustrated they are. After analysing the results in the recent elections, we found that BJP has done well where our members are attacked and assaulted the maximum.”
Mamata Banerjee however clarified that the ministers were relieved as they wanted to invest more time in organisational work in their respective constituencies.
The state unit is also trying to persuade Shah to visit Balarampur in Purulia.
“If we have time, he (Shah) might visit Purulia as well. We were instructed to take legal recourse against TMC in the case of the two killings in Purulia. We are not going to give TMC a walk over in Bengal and our people are ready to fight. We have our workers in almost every booth now and the rest will be covered soon,” said Kailash Vijayvargia, national general secretary.
BJP sources said the spontaneous response the party has been getting in some areas have spurred their hopes of electoral gains in Bengal which has never seen BJP coming to the forefront since independence.
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Shah is expected to hold high-level meetings with RSS, pro-Hindu organisations and party leaders to oversee the preparation for the 2019 election. Party insiders said the party is targeting more than 20 seats in Bengal, even though it got only two seats in the last Parliament elections. Sources said leaders from all these targeted seats have been summoned to the city to give details on the preparation. One of the measures that Shah undertook last time was to put party workers at every booth. The violence that took place during the panchayat elections –– largely between TMC and BJP —points out that the saffron brigade has partially succeeded.
Among the green shoots the BJP has been seeing in the state is its vote share growing from 35% from a meagre 8% in Mahestala assembly constituency, even though the party ranked a distant second.
Political observers said the ripple effect of the growth of BJP’s base is creating fear in the Trinamool Congress ranks as the party witnessed massive erosion in its tribal support base. In at least five districts with tribal population –– three in Junglemahal and two in north Bengal –– TMC lost many panchayats to BJP. TMC suffered maximum loss in Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia, bordering Jharkhand where BJP won in almost 30-40% of the panchayat seats.
Following this, chief minister Mamata Banerjee removed three ministers from her Cabinet, two of whom are TMC’s tribal leaders –– backward classes welfare minister Churamoni Mahato and tribal development minister James Kujur.
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Commenting on the sudden removal of three ministers late Tuesday evening, BJP’s national general secretary said, “These are the symptoms of nervous breakdown. Moreover, the way TMC has attacked and killed our members, it clearly shows how frustrated they are. After analysing the results in the recent elections, we found that BJP has done well where our members are attacked and assaulted the maximum.”
Mamata Banerjee however clarified that the ministers were relieved as they wanted to invest more time in organisational work in their respective constituencies.
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The state unit is also trying to persuade Shah to visit Balarampur in Purulia.
“If we have time, he (Shah) might visit Purulia as well. We were instructed to take legal recourse against TMC in the case of the two killings in Purulia. We are not going to give TMC a walk over in Bengal and our people are ready to fight. We have our workers in almost every booth now and the rest will be covered soon,” said Kailash Vijayvargia, national general secretary.
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BJP sources said the spontaneous response the party has been getting in some areas have spurred their hopes of electoral gains in Bengal which has never seen BJP coming to the forefront since independence.
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)