TMC keen on planning to use Citizenship Act against BJP

In a bid to foil BJP’s strategy of gaining political mileage in West Bengal by using the Citizenship Act, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is planning to use the contentious Act to corner the saffron party. TMC sources revealed that apprehending the possibility of BJP going all out with the Citizenship Act in Bengal the party leadership upon suggestion of poll strategist Prashant Kishor has decided to use BJP’s own “weapon” against itself.

“We are well aware that BJP will make the Citizenship Act a key issue in Bengal and use it as a major poll plant in the 2021 Assembly elections. We will counter it by convincing people that the Citizenship Act and NRC are equally dangerous,” said a senior TMC leader. He also said that poll strategist Prashant Kishor has a key role to play in the strategy.

Being aware of the fact that panic over NRC in Bengal resulted into BJP’s failure in the recent Assembly by-elections Kishor is keen on delivering a stronger blow to BJP using both the Citizenship Act and NRC. BJP failed to win a single seat in the Assembly-by elections where three seats went to polls. TMC bagged all the three seats.

BJP has been trying to woo Hindu refugee voters in Bengal with the Citizenship Act. Sources in the state BJP revealed that the move is an attempt to blunt West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s campaign that more than 10 lakh Hindus have been left out of the final NRC list in Assam.

A recent tweet by Kishor clearly indicated that the ruling party in the state will use the Citizenship Act along with NRC to foil BJP’s attempt to gain refugee votes.

“We are told that #CAB is bill to grant citizenship and not to take it from anyone. But the truth is together with #NRC, it could turn into a lethal combo in the hands of Government to systematically discriminate and even prosecute people based on religion.#NotGivingUp,” tweeted Kishor.