Police personnel try to maintain law and order after a clash between rival political groups during panchayat elections, in Malda district of West Bengal, on July 8. (PTI Photo)
Sources say the BJP may take the issue to the voters during campaigning and also use it to create a rift in the opposition unity efforts
The violence during the West Bengal panchayat elections could turn into a weapon for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, say sources. And the party could use the same weapon to attack the opposition unity
nationally. There was widespread violence ahead of and during Saturday’s panchayat polls, where people cast their votes in 61,636 booths for 2.06 lakh candidates who were in the fray for elections to 73,887 seats.
Over a dozen people were killed in the violence and many others were injured, according to reports so far.
BJP’s IT cell head and West Bengal co-incharge tweeted on the issue, taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid the party’s efforts to tie up with the Trinamool Congress for the Lok Sabha elections.
Has Rahul Gandhi mustered the courage to castigate Mamata Banerjee for the bloodletting during Panchayat polls, which saw Congress workers lose their lives? Or has his cowardice and political expediency prevailed? Is he scared that after Lalu Prasad, she too may hang him to dry?— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 9, 2023
Sources in the BJP say they will take up the violence issue in every way. They will play it up in court with a hearing on Tuesday and they will present data on the violence. They also plan to conduct a rigorous campaign on the issue in each Lok Sabha constituency in the state. Top central leaders from the party may come to Bengal for this.
The BJP is not too concerned about the panchayat election results but is more interested in using it as a campaign tool, say observers. There was a similar situation during the panchayat polls of 2018 and that had its impact on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP sprung a surprise by winning 18 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, up from the party’s tally of 2 in 2014.
A joint opposition meeting is set to take place in Bengaluru on July 16, but ties between the TMC and Congress seem to have taken a hit with workers of both parties being killed in clashes during the panchayat polls. The BJP has been trying to underscore this point. Party leader and union minister Smriti Irani said that the so-called opposition unity does not seem to be a ground reality and Congress and TMC will not cede any space to each other regionally or nationally.
Congress’s West Bengal unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the other hand has alleged a link between the TMC and BJP. “Why did they not send enough central forces? Is there an understanding between the state and Centre?” he said. The TMC too has been vocal in criticising the Congress.
BJP insiders say that the party will try to propagate the narrative that this national alliance of the opposition is only good for photoshoots.
