The bumpy rollout!

It is becoming increasingly difficult not to be labelled anti-national whenever one has to advise or state something remotely about a course-correction to the national BJP party.  A ghost is seen in every shadow, and every journalist seems under the payroll of either Khalistanis or Pakistanis. There also seems a concerted action against Modi ruled India by vested interests, damaging to our nation. Nonetheless, the thankless job of writing must go on other matters, comparatively mundane as well.

My take is on the proposed Rath Yatra of the BJP in West Bengal. Why replicate a medieval method to whip of passions, polarize and consolidate vote banks? PM Modi first broke the news of specific large numbers of TMC legislators queuing up to the BJP for admission. All and sundry in the BJP party started repeating the matter, robbing the thrill away. After Suvendu’s switching over, only Rajiv Banerjee’s hop was of any significance. The numbers do not add up to the claimed forties, falling short by seventy-five per cent of the quoted numbers.

There could be panic in the BJP circle. They have one trump card left, Modi, who has to govern the country and split his rest time between Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal, hoping that no other crisis exists within or across the borders.

BJP resorted to the Rath Yathra in Ayodhya and left in its wake a trail of death and destruction. It is difficult to contain the excitement of either the supporters or the opponents of the Rath, which is a flashpoint of chaos. TMC could decisively gain by saying, “We told you so,” about any untoward happenings along the Rath routes and could squarely hold the BJP responsible. 

I feel the psyche of Hindi belt is different from Bengal. “Jai Shri Ram,” is a slogan more as a form of protest against TMC and Didi than pitching for a Ram Rajya. Trying out the same formula in Bengal like in Ayodhya indicates a bankruptcy of ideas. As we watch from the ringside, it seems that the local BJP leadership is increasingly displaying a lack of focus and direction as Mamata Banerjee is quietly pushing her last-minute welfare agenda. She is also successful in holding her flock together, after some initial setbacks.

The news from the galleries is that MIM and ISF combination could barely win between 10 and 15 seats, the left-Congress around 20, leaving the battle between the TMC and BJP. Right now, TMC has an edge and might scrape through with a slender majority.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix

pic courtesy Shashi Ghosh