After Delhi debacle, Bengal BJP eyes alternate strategy

After the failure of its polarising tactics in the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP has started to look for an alternate strategy in West Bengal. The state unit of the saffron party now wants to focus more on upholding the "misrule" of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Bengal BJP sources revealed that the state unit is apprehensive that if the party depended solely on the strategy of uniting Hindu votes by means of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) they will face a similar debacle like in the Delhi Assembly elections.

"We want to chalk out an alternate plan so that we have a backup strategy in case polarisation doesn’t work in Bengal,” a senior state BJP leader said. He also said that there is a possibility that like the voters in Delhi, people in Bengal will reject polarisation.

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According to BJP sources, the lack of any anti-incumbency factor in Bengal even after TMC being in power for two consecutive terms has made the state leadership even more desperate for an alternative strategy.

"We will now focus more on the misrule of TMC especially the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Convincing people that there is no rule of law in West Bengal will be our main aim,” the BJP leader said.

This became evident when a state BJP delegation met West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar regarding the law and order situation in the state.

A section of state BJP leaders are apprehensive that if, like Delhi, the voters in Bengal vote for developmental issues and the success of various social welfare schemes of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government, the balance may tilt in the TMC’s favour.

Hinting at the change in strategy, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, "TMC’s terror tactics and corruption will all be highlighted by us."

Indicating that governance will be one of the major issues raised by the saffron party BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta said, "I think the misrule of the TMC government should be the key issue in the 2021 Assembly elections."