Heads should roll in Delhi, in all fairness. How could so many agencies the CBI, ED, I-T, central police forces and, of course, the Election Commission, have so spectacularly and collectively failed to deliver the goods, and leave the ruling establishment licking its wounds after the results in West Bengal? Political and regional factors apart, it is the overdose of almost everything that has now come to be associated with an Indian election that seems to have done the BJP in.
The BJP had ticked every box: dozens of trips by chartered flights/helicopters as “imported leaders” criss-crossed the state, 30-plus hotels including five-star rated ones booked in Kolkata to host guests, hundreds of campaign vehicles, aggressive mainstream and social media campaigns, all of which were topped up with alleged cash handouts to voters, ranging from Rs 500 in tribal belts to Rs 5,000 per head in urban pockets. Result: By the time the poll process began and progressed further, a sort of revuls
Half of BJP s seats in West Bengal came from Dalit dominated constituencies
Many of the seats are dominated by Matuas, a Hindu religious sect comprising those who had migrated from Bangladesh.
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Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP State President Dilip Ghosh seen eating lunch with a Matua family at their residence at Gouanganagar in Kolkata. (File Photo | PTI)
Express News Service
KOLKATA: Half of BJP s final tally of 77 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections came in constituencies reserved for the Dalits. The state has 84 constituencies reserved for SC and ST candidates and the saffron camp won 38 of these.
Express News Service
KOLKATA: Her image of a “street fighter” firmly established following TMC’s thumping win over the BJP in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee will now try to galvanise other parties to fight against the saffron brigade in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Set to be sworn in as the chief minister of the state for the third time on Wednesday, she said her party will celebrate the landslide victory at Kolkata’s famed Brigade Parade Ground, but only after the Covid-19 situation gets better. Leaders from other states will be invited to her victory parade.
“I am a street fighter. I can boost people so that we can fight against BJP. One cannot do everything alone. I think all together, we can fight the battle for 2024. But let’s fight Covid first,” said Mamata on Monday.
West Bengal: COVID deaths quadruple, new cases treble in 10 days amidst poll rush
Two candidates have so far died of Covid-19 and other leaders like state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have been hospitalised.
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A policeman asks people to wear protective face masks, as coronavirus cases surge across the country, at New Market area of Kolkata. (Photo | PTI)
Express News Service
KOLKATA: When horrified people looking at the humongous political rallies with mask-less supporters in West Bengal a couple of weeks ago wondered if such mobilisation was wise, the prompt reply of politicos was the state’s Covid-positive count was far below that of high incidence states.