Seeking to return to power for a fourth term, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee has placed her poll strategy on three planks. They are Matuas, Muslims and of course her stay-in demonstration / dharna championing the cause of these communities as some of them stand the possibility of being struck off the voters list by ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Ahead of the state Assembly elections, the issue has snowballed into a major political row with Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress racing ahead of all other political outfits in the state. Electoral statistics back the TMC’s efforts as voters list in the state seeing over 63 lakh deletions and over 60 lakhs
being placed under “Adjudication” under SIR.
Quick to prevent what might sound a discordant note in TMC’s campaign, Banerjee has hit the ground running. A dharna by her in the heart of Kolkata had clearly in its focus deletion of a significant percentage of Matuas facing deletion while a high number of voters in Muslim majority constituencies are pending adjudication review.
Electoral support from both the communities have often stood between Trinamool Congress and poll reverse in the past. Only too eager to cut into TMC ‘s support base, CPI(M)-led of Left had organised a nightlong protest near Election Commission office in Kolkata.
Held during the pendency of the TMC dharna, the shrunken attendance at the Left agitation was conspicuous. It appeared to be a “too little too late” endeavour.
Reverting to the state’s electoral strength, West Bengal had a total of 7.66 crore voters of which the February 28 voter list deleted 63.67 lakh electors and adjudicating another 60.07 lakhs. With 1.88 lakh being added in the second phase, West Bengal ‘s electorate now stands at 7.06 lakh voters.
Of these voters, the Matuas form the state’s second largest Scheduled Caste community having migrated from what used to be East Pakistan post Partition. If government estimates are anything to go by, the Matuas form 17 per cent of the total electorate in the state
The Matuas have significant presence in 30 Assembly constituencies. Their support have a direct impact on 40 to 45 seats.
These areas including Bagda, Bongaon Uttar and Dakshin ( north and south) were scarred by significant deletions. A similar fate befell the community in Matigara, Naxalbari and Dabgram-Phulbari.
Significant adjudication cases have been reported from Muslim dominated areas including Malda and Murshidabad. Parts of South and North-24-Parganas , Howrah, Uttar Dinajpur districts with similar demographical pattern are facing not a dissimilar situation.
Incidentally, in Muslim-majority areas adjudication cases outnumber deletions. Adjudication cases will. be decided by judicial officers
Against this backdrop, the TMC leadership has strongly criticised the SIR process alleging collusion between the BJP and the EC to undermine TMC influence. It has sought to refresh the memory of the Matuas and Muslims that as soon SIR started, the TMC leadership has strongly voiced it’s apprehension that names of mostly members of the SC, tribal and Muslim community will be deleted from the voters list.
The BJP leadership at the state and national level had mocked Mamata Banerjee ‘s appearance in Supreme Court to plead the case of voters whose names are to be deleted. But it is portrayed by TMC leaders as an expression of empathy for the Matuas and Muslims.
This is an astute move to which the BJP has no answer. Moreover, it is likely to appeal to Matuas and Muslims voters
Even as the SIR continues, one cannot fault Banerjee for the timing of her moves. She took the X handle on the death anniversary of Matua matriarch, Binapani Debi accusing that identity of the Matuas are being questioned as politics is being played in the name of giving citizenship.
Promising not to accept this “injustice” , she stated that the struggle to retain the citizenship of the people of Bengal will continue. Thereby, Banerjee has enveloped both the Matuas and Muslims who have stood like a rock at her side in her political slugfest with the saffron camp.
Banerjee’s appeal also aims to cut into the saffron support base among the Matuas. By zeroing in on the deletion she is seeking to convert the fulcrum of a pan-Hindu electoral base so far claimed by the BJP in her own favour.
Banerjee’s rhetoric is likely to get shriller as election inches closer. She is seeking to create a playing field in the coming Assembly polls in which stands a better chance of electoral success no matter what is the end result of deletions and adjudications.
