The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a challenging target of winning 35 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the next general elections, which are scheduled to be held in April-May 2024. The BJP had won only 18 seats in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and two of them later switched to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also the BJP president, made this bold claim at his first public rally at Birbhum’s Suri on Friday. He said that if the BJP achieves this goal, it will put pressure on the TMC government and force it to step down by 2025. He also said that the BJP will end the “Trinamool torture, its politics of appeasement, bhai-bhatija raj, overall corruption and infiltration” in Bengal.
Shah addressed a large gathering of BJP workers and supporters at Suri, where he was accompanied by BJP President JP Nadda and other senior leaders. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his development initiatives and welfare schemes for the poor. He also highlighted the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre and accused the TMC of misusing central agencies like ED and CBI to harass its opponents.
Shah also attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her alleged nepotism and dynastic politics. He said that she is not bothered about the welfare of Bengal and her sole aim is to make her nephew Abhishek Banerjee the chief minister. He said that this will not happen as he will make sure that a new leader from BJP becomes the chief minister after winning 35 seats.
Shah also slammed Banerjee for her alleged role in attacking Ram Navami processions in Howrah and Rishra. He said that these incidents were done to appease Muslims at the cost of Hindus. He said that if BJP comes to power, no one will dare to attack Ram Navami processions again.
Shah also took a dig at Banerjee for her promise of employment to three lakh youths during her election campaign. He said that instead of fulfilling this promise, she looted money from job aspirants by using ED raids. He said that ED had to carry money from two trunks belonging to TMC functionaries.
Shah’s rally was seen as a show of strength by BJP ahead of its core team meeting with state leaders on Saturday. The party has formed a 15-member team under Union Minister Rajnath Singh to oversee its preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. The team will visit various districts and review various aspects such as organisational structure, candidate selection, manifesto preparation, campaign strategy, etc.
The BJP’s ambitious target of winning 35 seats in Bengal is based on its belief that it can expand its base beyond its traditional vote bank of upper castes and Hindu nationalists. The party has been trying to woo Muslim voters by highlighting issues such as unemployment, poverty, communal harmony, etc. The party has also been trying to woo Dalit voters by promising them reservation benefits under Article 15(4) of Constitution.
However, achieving this target will not be easy for BJP as it faces several challenges such as anti-incumbency factor against TMC government; lack of organisational strength; defections from other parties; regional rivalries; caste equations; etc. The party will have to work hard to counter these challenges and convince voters that it can deliver better governance than TMC.
The TMC government has dismissed Shah’s target as unrealistic and baseless. It has accused him of spreading fear among people with false propaganda and lies. It has also claimed that it has won over many people who were unhappy with Modi’s policies or who were influenced by fake news or rumours. It has also asserted that it will continue to fight against corruption and injustice under Banerjee’s leadership.
The battle for Bengal is likely to be one of the most crucial contests in next year’s Lok Sabha polls as both parties have a huge stake in it. The outcome will not only affect their national ambitions but also their future prospects in West Bengal politics.
