By Tirthankar Mitra
KOLKATA: Credential of first ever BJP state government of West Bengal is on a test at Rejinagar bypoll scheduled to be held on October 6. It remains to be seen whether the saffron camp’s promises of development obliterates the “Sanatani” image of the government in an Assembly segment where 70 per cent of the voters are from the Muslim community.
The ruling dispensation has fielded Sakharov Sarkar as its nominee who stands out as the only candidate not belonging to the community who are the majority in this region. Rest of the bypoll nominees are from the Muslim community.
The saffron outfit has not shifted from its claims of being Sanatani. It has added to its original narrative promises of ushering in development which is pitted against the bid to build a replica of Babri mosque in this area.
Indeed it is a face-off between what is espoused as “Sanatani” ideology and another out of sync with it. Taking stock of the resistance to what has been its stock poll slogan, the BJP is trying to water it down with promises of development which it’s principal opponent AJUP is also trying to espouse.
Nearly 70 per cent of the people of Rejinagar are Muslims left untouched by progress. Small wonder, development is the narrative of the saffron camp here.
Humayun Kabir heading the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) has been the driving force behind the endeavour to build a replica of a structure the aftermath of whose demolition changed the political face of the country. His son Gulam Nabi Azad is the AJUP nominee in this by-poll necessitated by his father’s stepping down post his victory from Nowda Assembly segment.
Funds poured in for the rebuilding of the replica structure when Kabir, then a Trinamool Congress legislator, announced his endeavour to rebuild it. On his expulsion from the TMC, AJUP was floated by him.
The Rejinagar by-poll is also a test case to the efficacy of chief minister Subhendu Adhikari’s call to the Muslim community during his campaign. October 6 is the day for the community to extend its hands in friendship. It is left unsaid but the chief minister seeks is the Muslim voters support.
There is a gap in his words. He has left one and all in darkness what would happen if ” the hand of friendship” is not extended to his party nominee. .
Even the AJUP chief Kabir is aware that it is the powers that be in the saffron camp that can bring development to Rejinagar. Seeking votes for his son, he said once he wins he will “supplicate those in Delhi” for the uplift of Rejinagar.
In so many words, Kabir seeks to bypass chief minister Adhikari. Elections are marked by a war of words which reached a new low at Rejinagar when the AJUP chief sought the chief minister’s passing away.
Condemned by other political parties, Kabir withdrew his comments. But the animosity between the leader of a party with only one legislator and the chief minister of West Bengal is much more than ideological.
On the face of it, demography of Rejinagar gives Azad, the AJUP nominee an edge in the coming electoral battle. Being the son of Humayun Kabir who secured more than 51 per cent votes in the Assembly election is a brownie point.
In a manner, reaching out to the Muslim community as never before, state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya pointed out during the campaign that there has been no riot during the BJP regime in the state till date. But one wonders whether to take his words with a pinch of salt as despite his warning strong action, extortion bids are being continued to be made by his party supporters.
While Kabir feels it is a straight fight between AJUP and BJP, Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) nominee Rabiul Alam Choudhary has other ideas. Having won thrice from Rejinagar twice as a Congress nominee and as a TMC candidate in 2021 he feels that the blessings of Mamata Banerjee who opposed the exclusion of names of voters under Special intensive Revision (SIR) will see him through.
Choudhury feels the Rejinagar by-poll is an opportunity for Muslim voters to focus on their problems and take a stand while exercising their franchise. But both Choudhury and Kabir have a common grouse that their supporters are being harassed by reviving old cases.
Neither Kabir nor Choudhury offers any explanation why development has bypassed Rejinagar all these decades. It is on this issue, the BJP nominee Sarkar seeks to surge ahead of his political opponents in the coming bypoll.
The BJP nominee, who is the Murshidabad district unit chief of his party claims to have consolidated the Hindu votes. Muslim voters are being met with house to house visits.
So far these voters have supported Muslim nominees, no matter whether they were from Congress, TMC or AJUP. It remains to be seen whether a voting pattern based on issues of hospital, schools and roads not giving a bumpy ride to the commuters emerges replacing one on religious consideration. (IPA Service)
