BJP preparing blueprint for 2021 West Bengal polls
Kolkata: Buoyed by its stupendous victory in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is preparing a blueprint, which includes putting in place a check and balance mechanism to induct TMC leaders and strengthening its grassroot level organisation, to win "at least 250 seats" in the state assembly elections.
The saffron party won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in the recently-concluded parliamentary polls, only four less than the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress's 22. Election to the 294-member state assembly is scheduled to be held in 2021.
Emerging as a party fighting for the cause of Bengalis to counter the TMC's issue of Bengali pride, the BJP will give weightage to industrialisation to create jobs and implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, if voted to power.
The ruling TMC in West Bengal, however, did not give much importance to the BJP's plans and asserted it will bounce back to power in 2021, saying the saffron party's dream of coming to power in the state will fall flat.
The BJP recorded a staggering 40.5 per cent vote share in the general elections and at present, has six assembly seats of the state in its pocket.
"For the Lok Sabha polls, we had set a target of 23 Lok Sabha seats, and won 18. Now, our new target is 250 seats in the state (assembly). We will prepare our poll strategy and work towards achieving this target," BJP national general secretary and West Bengal in-charge, Kailash Vijayvargiya, told PTI.
The Lok Sabha poll results have indicated a tectonic shift in Bengal politics, with the BJP emerging as a key player and successfully tilting the political equation in its favour by eclipsing the ruling TMC and opposition Congress and CPI (M).
TMC's seat tally dropped from 34 in 2014 to 22 in this general elections, and the Congress's from four to two.The CPI (M) failed to open its account.
BJP sources said in consultation with the central leadership, the party's state unit is drawing up a strategy to ensure its victory in the assembly polls.
"For the time being, induction of TMC leaders into the party, especially MLAs and senior leaders, would be put on hold.We would bring in a crosscheck mechanism into place before inducting TMC leaders in the party.
"Only those who are good leaders with good public image and organisational skills will be inducted into the BJP," a senior central BJP leader privy to the development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
This decision has been taken in the backdrop of protests over TMC MLA Manirul Islam joining the party.His induction has sent out a wrong message to the masses and "we want to emerge as a better alternative and not as a replica of the TMC", the leader said.
The BJP's West Bengal unit has been divided over Islam's induction into the party, as a section feels that people like him will bring bad repute to it in the state, where the party is trying to oust the TMC government.
In the wake of protests in the party, he offered to resign. The BJP has also decided to revamp the organisation to bring better organisers and political workers into the fold.
"We would revamp the party organisation in districts and areas where we are weak. In districts and local areas where leaders were earlier appointed just for the sake of appointment would be removed with good and efficient persons. But old timers who are good organisers and leaders would be kept in the new committees," Vijayvargiya said.
The party has also decided to categorise assembly segments as "A, B, C and D" based on the performance in the seats in the Lok Sabha polls.
"The 130 seats where we have taken a lead would fall under category 'A' and the 65 seats where we are in the close second position would fall under category 'B'.
"The rest of the seats where we are second with a distant margin would fall under the 'C' category and the seats where we are third would fall under 'D' category," a source in the BJP said.
The party will increase its political activity in the entire state and reach out to the masses. But special focus will be on seats categorised as "A, B and C", a senior BJP leader said.
"We will work towards ensuring victory in seats in these three categories," the leader said. The party has also decided to prepare a roadmap based on state and constituency-wise issues.
"For example industry would be a major poll plank in the state especially in areas like Singur, where Tata Motors couldn't complete its factory due to the TMC's negative politics," a BJP leader said.
In border areas and districts, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to grant citizenship to refugees and NRC to weed out infiltrators will be major poll planks, the leader said.
"Similarly, in various districts there are some specific issues related to agriculture, industries, so we would identify them and work towards it," a BJP leader said.
The 18 MPs, six MLAs and the municipalities that have been taken over the party should act as model of development and good governance to inspire confidence about BJP among the masses, a BJP source said.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
