By Dr. Gyan Pathak
There is mockery of election in West Bengal, that has begun in the right earnest after its announcement by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 15. The election will be held on a very faulty and incomplete electoral roll as the foundation of the election, and hence nobody sees it free and fair. Electoral roll is under preparation, and 732 judges are still doing the work of adjudication while time is running out. They have reportedly decided on over one-third of the names of over 60 lakh people whose names were put under logical discrepancy. Time is running out and they are supposed to complete their work by the last date of filing of nominations on April 6.
Just before the election was announced, Trinamool Congress supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced several welfare schemes in the state. TMC is contesting the election in alliance with Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM). By declaring their candidates for 291 and three seats respectively, they have taken the initial lead. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed while releasing the list of party’s candidates that they her party will win 226 seats this time, which is more than 215 seats the party had won in 2021 assembly polls.
However, the question is what makes Mamata so confident of winning 226, even more than her party won in 2021? The question has acquired importance because PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are leaving no stone unturned to dislodge Mamata from power. Central investigating agencies have become very active against her, that had raided her political consultant I-PAC on January 8. Mamata had intervened because her party’s election related secret data was with I-PAC, which she took away during the ED raid.
Both the ED and State administration had registered FIR against each other. The case was heard in the Supreme Court on March 18, where Supreme Court did not allow more time to the state government to respond to the affidavit of the ED. In brief, the Centre led by PM Narendra Modi has created such as situation, in which it is very difficult for Mamata to give full attention to election campaign.
Her very speech contains the factors which are basis of her confidence of winning 226 seats. She said, “We will win 226 seats in 2026. Boycott for BJP. Vote Bangla … vote for jorahool (TMC’s election symbol), BJP will see shorshephul (that is severe problem.”
She gave other hints when she said, “They are harassing voters by making them stand in queue. Lakhs and lakhs names have been deleted in the name of SIR. Two hundred souls are crying. There is a queue for Aadhaar. They have closed the supply of gas and made people panicky. They made people stand in line for demonetisation, too. You will be be-line. Delhi kaladdoo will never win … they have snatched all power. But haven’t been able to snatch manpower.”
After the announcement of the election, the ECI has changed several top level officers of the state, and central forces are being deputed. On this Mamata said, “They think they are superpower. They have clamped super emergency. They have occupied state government.”
She also said that some people from RSS have come. I respect the old guard of RSS. These people are now 10th star RSS. They have got people from Haryana. Can’t control Haryana. They have got someone called Tonsil, it is his nickname. He is deciding chief secretary. He should tend to his tonsil. This has been done to distribute cash, to bring arms and drugs.”
She said, “f everyone goes on central deputation who will oversee water, power …. what if loadshedding happens… if anything happens, please don’t blame me… strangle BJP – politically strangulate, I mean.”
She targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said, “He should be BJP candidate. That is the only thing that remains.”
On deletion of voters by ECI, she said, “Matuas deleted. Rajbangshi deleted. Minorities deleted. Fifty per cent Hindus who have died, their votes are also deleted. Gujarati vote deleted. Marwari, Bihari voters deleted. After destroying everyone, will you last?”
It is worth noting that Mamata gave clear hints that many BJP supporters are also aggrieved by the act of deletion of their names from the electoral rolls. Mamata hopes that it would also impact the fate of the BJP candidates.
BJP has declared names for 144 constituencies out of 294 in the state. The Party is contesting on its own and have claimed that they will throw Mamata out of power this time. They won 77 seats in 2021 assembly polls. Despite their claim, they seem not in a position to win enough number of seats to come to power.
CPI(M) led Left Front is contesting on all seats, but they are also not in a position to challenge the dominance of the TMC. Left Front parties include Marist Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc, CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party (India), CPI (ML) L and India Secular Front.
Congress and BSP are yet to declare their candidates. Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) have declared 230 candidates so far.
ECI has said that supplementary list of voters will be prepared until the last date of nomination and will be added to the final electoral roll announced on February 28 as per the order of the Supreme Court of India. (IPA Service)
