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Business News/ Elections 2019 / Lok Sabha Elections 2019/  Elections 2019: A two-year strategy to seize a state
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Elections 2019: A two-year strategy to seize a state

Work began soon after the party’s dismal performance in the assembly polls in 2016, with the BJP garnering a mere 10% vote share
  • It was a careful calibration of polarization and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
  • BJP is targeting seats where the population of minority voters cannot influence the outcome of the election.samir jana/htPremium
    BJP is targeting seats where the population of minority voters cannot influence the outcome of the election.samir jana/ht

    KOLKATA/BOLPUR : For the past two years, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have been working tirelessly across all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal with the single aim of making significant gains in the 2019 general elections.

    Work began soon after the party’s dismal performance in the assembly polls in 2016, with the BJP garnering a mere 10% vote share. This, despite doing well in the remaining parts of east and north-east India. The efforts were not limited to strengthening the organizational and social base of the party, but aimed at exploiting the people’s anger against the Mamata Banerjee-led state government.

    It was a careful calibration of polarization and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And, if the strategy succeeds, the BJP will be a force to reckon with in West Bengal—a state where the Congress was in power for 30 years after independence, followed by 34 years of Left rule, and now dominated by the Trinamool.

    The BJP, which until now was a distant fourth in electoral battles, is set to be the main challenger to TMC. In the past two years, the party has deputed 350 full-time workers across the 42 LS constituencies to reach out to voters.

    “Mamata Banerjee stops Durga puja processions only to allow religious functions of other communities. Is it a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal? The state government does not work for us. The minority community is treated as if they are better than us. They get priority in all government schemes," said Ashish Das, 33, a provision store owner in Gangarampur in Bolpur constituency.

    The BJP’s strategy is to target seats where the population of minority voters, primarily Muslims, cannot influence the outcome of the election. BJP has identified at least 30 such seats where Muslim voters make up less than 20% of the population. It hopes that mobilizing sentiments against the minority community will help it do better than the TMC and other opposition parties.

    “BJP is banking only on caste and religion. Hindus and Muslims live in peace in the state, but if the BJP performs well here, I am not sure what will happen to social harmony," said Sheikh Shaukat Ali, 45, a painter from Bardhaman East constituency.

    BJP is focusing its attention on Krishnanagar, Bardhaman East, Durgapur, Serampore, Bolpur, Barrackpore, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Medinipur, Purulia, Jhargram, Bishnupur, Bankura and Ranaghat. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh is contesting from Medinipur to woo voters and instil confidence among the cadres to challenge the ruling TMC.

    “Reverse polarization is the key for BJP in West Bengal. There is a perception that the state government, especially Mamata Banerjee, is soft on Muslims. The influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh and now Rohingyas has worked in our favour. There is a sense of fear among the people which will benefit us," said a senior BJP leader.

    BJP leaders also said the popularity of PM Modi had soared after the airstrikes in Balakot. They said the party had convinced people of the state that the election is about national issues, and that voters should choose a leader for the country and not the state.

    To read more stories on Lok Sabha Elections 2019, click here

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    Published: 25 Apr 2019, 10:16 PM IST
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