CULTS OF PERSONALITY

It seems to be a Mamata vs Modi battle in Bengal, but the left-Congress team could have its say in some seats

- NILADRY SARKAR

Ahead of the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee made an interesting statement. Addressing a rally in Bangaon constituency, she said: “We are not allowing the NRC and we do not accept the CAA. If they want to give unconditional citizenship, I do not have any objection.”

This was a significant shift from her previous position of completely rejecting the Citizenship Amendment (Act), 2019, whose rules were implemented earlier this year.

Bangaon constituency, which is along the India-Bangladesh border, houses a large number of Matuas. This is a persecuted scheduled caste community from Bangladesh that is seeking a permanent home in India. And so, the five crore Matuas in Bengal saw the CAA as a solution. The BJP had won the Matua-dominated seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 assembly elections.

The CAA is also an important factor in seats where Muslims, who form 30 per cent of the state’s population, can influence the results. This was underscored by Home Minister Amit Shah. At a rally in Ranaghat constituency ahead of the fourth phase, he said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was opposing the CAA to protect her “vote bank”. “Mamata Banerjee’s government is giving place to infiltrators, but she opposes giving citizenship to people from the Matua community,” he said. “We will give citizenship to every refugee, this is Narendra Modi’s word.”