Nandigram, the epicenter of West Bengal politics, is witnessing a high-stakes battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her former protegee Suvendu Adhikari, who is the BJP candidate. While both sides are trying to claim the legacy of the land agitation in Nandigram in 2007 as their own, there are several other factors at play.
Nandigram will be an acid test of BJP’s defection strategy. The move of roping in Adhikari, who had been an ace organizer for the TMC, was aimed at strengthening the BJP’s organisation not only in Nandigram but also in East and West Medinipur district.
However, speaking to DH, an influential TMC leader in Nandigram and once a close aid of Adhikari, Swyam Kaaji said that apart from one block president, Adhikari has failed to lure away any significant “vote managers” from the TMC in Nandigram.
“It is the booth level leaders and workers who do the work of vote managing during elections. Suvendu has no significant vote managers with him,” Kaji said.
BJP insiders said that a section of party leaders in Nandigram have been unable to accept Adhikari and have become inactive which may have an adverse impact on the saffron party’s prospects.
The nearly 30 per cent Muslim population in Nandigram had been firmly backing the TMC with Adhikari as its candidate since the 2011 Assembly elections. But with his joining the BJP and increasingly polarising remarks such as calling Mamata “the ‘phuphi’ (word for paternal aunt used mainly by Muslims) of infiltrators and ‘khala’ (word for maternal aunt used by Muslims) of Rohingyas may further consolidate the Muslim votes in her favour.
According to the 2011 Census, the Nandigram I block has 65.82 per cent (1,36,789) Hindu population and 34.04 per cent (70,756) Muslim population. As for the Nandigram II block, there are 87.71 per cent Hindu population and 12.12 per cent (14,940) Muslim population.
However, it may turn out to be an uphill task for Mamata if the BJP is able to successfully polarize the about 70 per cent Hindu votes in its favour. Adhikari’s frequent visits to temples and jibes at Mamata for the “wrong recital” of Sanskrit shlokas is a clear indication of BJP’s tactics.
Mamata has adopted soft Hindutva tactics such as reciting Sanskrit shlokas at party rallies and frequently visiting temples in Nandigram. She had even warned the BJP “not to play the Hindu card” with her.
Locals said that BJP’s chances in Nandigram could not be totally ruled out as the saffron party has a dedicated support base in the area. Its vote share shot up in Nandigram from 10,713 in the 2016 Assembly elections to 62,268 in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to DH, a local TMC leader said that Adhikari’s role in the 2007 land agitation and his organizational skills cannot be ignored.
It is going to be a close contest between Mamata and Adhikari in Nandigram with a slight edge to the TMC supremo. Nandigram goes to polls on April 1.