Brij Bhardwaj
newsagency12@gmail.com
With the announcement of elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry on March 15, the BJP’s plans are clearly to hold Assam, win West Bengal, and expand in the South. For the Congress and other opposition parties, a lot is riding on the outcome of these elections. For instance, for the BJP the only state to hold is Assam; the BJP has been in power in Assam for two terms.
The challenge to BJP will be posed this time not only by the Congress but also by regional parties. It also has to overcome the incumbency factor as it has been in power for two terms. To overcome this, it is trying to polarise voters on the issue of foreigners in the state, who it alleges are stealing land as well as jobs from the locals. How far it succeeds will decide the outcome of the poll. It is also trying to divide the minority vote. This can have an impact on the outcome of the elections as in the past, the majority supported Congress. The BJP has the advantage of better organisation and ample resources at its command.
In the South, the BJP hopes to make a better showing in Kerala where it scored well in local body elections and won a contest for the post of Mayor defeating the CPIM candidate. The BJP may not win a majority, but it hopes to increase its poll percentage of votes and win a few seats. In Tamil Nadu, it has tied up with the AIADMK which is expected to give a good fight. The BJP hopes to win a few seats in the State Assembly with the help of the AIADMK.
The major battle however, is taking place in West Bengal. The BJP has emerged as a major challenger to the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, which has been in power for four terms. The BJP has replaced the left parties who ruled the State for several terms but could not win even a single seat in the last elections. The Congress party also has been eliminated from most of the State with the exception of a few pockets dominated by minority communities.
The BJP has accused the TMC government of corruption, encouraging the entry of foreigners, and minority appeasement. A strong point in favour of the TMC is the support of women and minority communities because of welfare schemes. The BJP has worked hard to defeat the TMC and has tried to tie down the TMC leader in her home constituency by fielding their top candidate, the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendhu Adhikari.
The BJP has also accused TMC of changing the demography of the State by encouraging the entry of foreigners. According to reports in the local press, the TMC has an edge over the BJP while the Congress and left parties will be fringe players only.
As for the Congress party, it is hoping to win Kerala where it performed well in local body elections. But to repeat this performance in the State Assembly poll may not be easy. Kerala is one state in which every poll had seen a change of party in power, but this trend was reversed in the last poll, essentially because of infighting in the Congress party. How it will perform this time depends to a large extent on unity in their ranks.
The Congress Leader of Opposition had found a safe constituency in Kerala after his defeat in Amethi, from where Mrs Priyanka Gandhi got elected after he vacated the seat on his election from Amethi. So a lot is riding for the Congress in the outcome of Kerala poll as it would establish Congress party hold in South as they are in power in Karnataka and Telangana and are in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. The elections to be watched will be Assam. and West Bengal which can throw surprises.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
