Why does the Pradhan Sewak believe that the TMC will fall like a pack of cards after 2 May? If he is so sure, why does he have to say it on record in his public rallies and campaigns, capturing his posturing and positioning as he thoroughly maintains that polarisation, propaganda and rhetorics offers a competitive electoral edge to the BJP in pursuing its competitiveness over its political rivals?
In the case of West Bengal, it is Mamta Banerjee leading the fight from the front. I remember how she stood boldly and bravely in Nandigram, where the central forces played foul with TMC observers and agents. As alleged by Didi, they acted at the behest of the centre, which may be partly true given the spectre of hooliganism, vandalism, and violence marring the second phase polling process.
With a Didi on a wheelchair hovering from one poll booth to another, the scene and imagery it stoked and generated punctuated a lot for us to interpret and investigate as Suvendu Adhikari had thought to give Didi a free pass. I remember how Didi’s supporters and well-wishers reacted to her being holed up in one of the polling booths after the TMC and BJP cadres began to confront each other in Nandigram.
Though scary, it was sufficient for shaking up the Pradhan Sewak with his “O Didi O Didi” jab in one of his election speeches as though he had lost sense of what was taking place on the ground. In my understanding, a day before the Pradhan Sewak’s rally, Didi had penned a letter to all the opposition parties for uniting against the authoritarianism of the ruling BJP government at the centre.
Secondly, Didi has garnered sympathies over the past few months after meeting with an unforeseen incident injuring one of her legs, thus becoming a wheelchair user. In this claim and context, the focus of the entire election shifted, giving Narendra Modi to mince whatever he felt appropriate.
But in this appropriateness, he said something which was blatantly unbecoming of his constitutional authority and obligation as Prime Minister. Is this how the political adversaries and opponents of the BJP are treated, targeted and tarnished? Instead, taking a lesson or two in this regard from Vajpayee would do good for the party with a distinguishing difference in the country’s diversity and plurality.
There are reasons why the BJP has chosen to be desperate and not defensive, sensing its waters as in no manner are they going to inch anywhere around 200 seats. If not, how will they organise and arouse the sentiments of those who proudly associate themselves with the party’s cultural symbolism, breaking its ranks anytime sooner than later?
So, for keeping the flocks together, the Pradhan Sewak and his band of coteries are uttering whatever they can credibly in their capacities, refuting and refraining from acknowledging Khela Hobe. This is not taking the race away from Mamta Banerjee as is being mistaken by a few amongst us.
The BJP should be delighted for their ability to go in double digits thanks to the loose set of coalitions between the Left, Congress and ISF.