West Bengal: Mamata, from wheel chair to CM chair

• Kudos to Didi for brave fight
• Prashant Kishor (PK), perfect strategist behind TMC’s hat trick
• Over confidence of BJP leaders was their undoing

Kolkata: Yes, the much awaited elections results for five states were out on Sunday, with mixed results like BJP or NDA winning or keeping Assam and Pudichherry states, DMK rise in TN winning after 10 years, Kerala LDF winning consecutively for second time, breaking record of 40 years, but pushing all these details aside, viewers of TV news channels were focussed only on Bengal results.

Almost every Indian who is interested in politics sat in front of TV without going outside as it is weekend and viewed the segment wise results of Bengal. The reasons are many, who will win in Bengal/ Will Mamata hit a hat trick? Will BJP form the Government for the first time in Bengal? What will be the result of Nandigram? What will be the future of Prashanth Kishor?

Perfect Planning by PK, able  execution by DIdi

PK, from day one is confident that BJP will not cross double digit in Bengal, he came up with a challenge that If BJP does so, will quit the job of a political strategist. Just few days after Phase-1 polling, PK executed each and every chance to counter BJP by all means. For example, when he sensed that Hindu votes will tilt towards Saffron side, he made DIDI to visit temples (which she doesn’t do normally) and made her say that she is a Hindu. At the same time PK was successful in coining the slogan that Modi was an outsider. Prashanth Kishor did not leave using sentiment as option. When Mamata faced minor injury on her foot, he made her to campaign on wheel chair which garnered the sympathy of the rural voters.

When Suvendhu Adhikari filed nomination in Nandigram and challenged Mamata to contest against him, PK advised Didi to contest from the same constituency and accept the challenge thrown by opposition leader. This idea gave moral boost to TMC cadre all over the state who campaigned vigorously in positive mood. When BJP leaders were making hungama saying that the saffron will win 200 seats, PK made TMC cadre silent and he came into picture by saying that TMC will win which also changed the mood of the voters.

Great rise by BJP, but failed at end

Saffron party which won only three seats in previous elections (2016) won 75 seats which is said to be a good performance by pollsters. BJP was never in the reckoning in Bengal with CPM ruling the state for 35 years and later TMC 10 years. The sudden surge of saffron routing out Communist and Congress parties can be said as a moral victory for the party leaders. But it is clear that they lost the opportunity of winning the elections. This is clearly due to the overconfidence and negligence on the part of state leaders. When TMC is focussing on 83 constituencies which had  30 to 35% Muslim voters, BJP never kept eye on these segments  and went on to rise Hindutva card along with Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Out of these 83 segments TMC won 79, which made party to cross two hundred mark at the end. TMC won more than 95 seats with a margin of 300 to 500 votes and this is enough proof that the local BJP leaders left the battle in middle without focussing on poll management.

Communists, Congress lose badly

West Bengal meant to be a Communist Fort for over 35 years with late Jyothi Basu ruling the state keeping Left cadre strong. But 2021 elections clearly indicate that there is no place for leftists in Bengal and the cadre has clearly migrated either to BJP or TMC. It is better to talk less about congress which fared badly in all states where elections took place.

BJP options in front: Saffron leaders will be happy for a while with the results of Assam and Pudicherry, but surely disappointed with Bengal results. Modi -Amit Shah duo calculations might have failed in execution and there will be rise in voice of opposition parties in future against NDA rule. But it is not the time for these leaders to review the situation where party failed in Bengal, it is time for leaders to focus on the surge in cases of COVID and make vaccination drive successful in coming days. This is the first duty of Central and State Governments to work hand to hand, until then, let all the leaders give break for the politics which will be good for nation reeling under severe pandemic. But at the end we should say KUDOS to Mamata for her brave fight.