Ahead of the general elections next year, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has found a weapon which comes handy—the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The social media is abuzz with a video clip which went viral. The video shows Mamata Banerjee walking out of Lok Sabha, protesting against the failure of the Left government in West Bengal and the Union government to prevent the influx of Bangladeshis into the state, almost two decades ago. She had accused the Left government of using the migrants as vote bank.
Her relentless struggle against influx of Bangladeshis forced the Election Commission to treat Bengal as a special case in the 2001 and 2006 assembly elections, and the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. Special observers were sent to each of the seven districts bordering Bangladesh. K.J. Rao, special adviser to the Election Commission, who had acted tough in the Bihar election which saw Lalu Prasad Yadav getting defeated, was sent to oversee the issue of fake voters in 2006. Rao had said, "Yes, problems were there. But it's very difficult to detect the influx when they have got ration cards, voter cards and other benefits."
However, years later, the West Bengal chief minister is signing a different tune, as her political status has turned around drastically. She has come to other side of the fence—from a powerless leader to the all-powerful chief minister of West Bengal. Nonetheless, she did not lose her character of a firebrand opposition leader. The difference is that she was the opposition leader against the Left then, but today, she is the face of the fierce opposition to the saffron party.
There is another stark difference as well. Mamata Banerjee is aiming for the top. She wants to run a coalition government of a rainbow alliance, involving the Congress. But numerically, she is in a disadvantaged position. Even if she manages to win all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, her presence would be limited to just one state. An entry into the northeast would give her a big gain nationally, though not numerically.
The Congress and socialists, sources said, would never accept any face whose mission and vision would be for a particular state only. They might be silent now for the sake of opposition unity.
The NRC issue in Assam would have been the real chance for Mamata Banerjee to promote herself nationally. However, the BJP was quick to prevent her from hogging the limelight.
Said a senior BJP leader who is in charge of a state, "The more she would try for the big post, the more it would harm Rahul Gandhi. People will be confused and it will act as a boon for us."
In Bengal, too, such political posturing will help the BJP, the leader said.
In fact, there has always been a divide between East Bengal (now, Bangladesh) and West Bengal. The animosity was even dragged into sports, with two football clubs taking birth on the basis of two Bengals—comprising footballers from West Bengal and refugees coming in from Bangladesh. Ironically, Mohammedan Sporting Club had emerged which comprised mainly of Muslims. Such vitiated atmosphere after Independence led to the birth of Hindu nationalistic Jana Sangha of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in West Bengal. A similar atmosphere has been created in Bengal today.
The socialistic current in the state, which started in 1960s, checked the rise of such polarisation in West Bengal. Religions and provincial characters were no more the yardstick of affiliation to football clubs during the Left rule. The growth of Jana Sangha was almost nil. But it would be fallacious to say the ideology got completely wiped out.
With refugee politics gaining prominence, after many decades, the political climate in West Bengal today is favourable to the BJP. Unfortunately, Mamata Banerjee's posturing would also help them in a great way.
This is reflected in the desperation of the BJP government in Assam to prevent the TMC team from entering Assam. It is also reflected in Amit Shah's fiery speech, where he said, "Whether Mamata ji likes it or not, whether her government gives permission for my rally or not, I will go to Kolkata and hold rally."
West Bengal seems to be heading towards a politically transformative phase.