In poll-bound West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling TMC are hosting one rally after another to swing the voters in their favour. Adding some colour to this heated political showdown, parties are coming up with innovative and catchy slogans.
The most famous slogan that has emerged during the latest campaigning is 'Khela Hobe' (game will be played), used by the Trinamool Congress members, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in many of her speeches. It finds its roots in cricket. Banerjee had said in one of her speeches that the TMC will play such a game that the BJP will be thrown out of Bengal.
The BJP did not hold back, and came up with its own 'Khela Shesh' as a response to the TMC, which means 'game over'. PM Narendra Modi in a rally said, "TMC is saying Khela Hobe, now it will be Khela Shesh."
The saffron party, which is being projected as an outsider in the state, has pegged its election campaign on bringing about 'Ashol Poriborton' or real change in the state, after years of alleged corruption by the TMC. The phrase has featured in every speech by BJP leaders canvassing for votes in the state, including PM Modi.
Taking shots at Mamata and how she "hollowed" the state which was once the hub of culture and prosperity, the BJP has also promised the people of Bengal that they will build a 'sonar Bangla', a golden Bengal if brought to power. 'Aar Noy Anyay', no more injustice, is another one of BJP's earliest slogans in Bengal.
The TMC, on the other hand, has continued to project Mamata as the daughter of Bengal, with its campaign slogan 'Banglar Gorbo Mamata', Bengal's pride Mamata.
During a rally at Sona Chura in Nandigram on Tuesday, Mamata called on people to exercise their franchise peacefully ahead of phase 2 polls on April 1. She said, "Keep in mind, 'cool cool Trinamool, thanda thanda cool cool, vote pabe joda phool'.
The Congress-CPI(M) alliance, not wanting to be left out, have launched campaigns with catchy slogans of their own, like 'Ebar aar phool na, ebar kono bhul na' (no flower this time, no mistake this time), as both TMC and BJP have flowers in their party logos.