DIDI'S GIFTS FOR MINORITIES

On March 29 and 30, after widespread violence—arson, stone-pelting, ransacking of homes and businesses—broke out over Ramnavami celebrations in West Bengal’s Howrah and Hooghly districts, the main Opposition in the state, the BJP, accused the ruling Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “disregarding Hindu sentiments”, alleging the police were mere bystanders.

- Romita Datta

The BJP was hinting at its old charge at Mamata—that of “Muslim appeasement”. The TMC, on its part, hotly refuted the accusation, blaming the communal violence on the BJP, especially on armed “criminals and outsiders” present in the processions.

This latest exchange of accusations over the riots notwithstanding, Mamata does depend on Bengal’s 27.5 per cent Muslim population (as per the 2011 Census) for a significant political edge over her adversaries. From handsome allocations in the budget for minority-specific schemes, whole-hearted support to agitations against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to donning the hijab, Mamata has both substantive efforts and photo-optics covered in her bid to keep her Muslim vote bank happy. Then there is the constant red flag of the BJP’s muscular Hindutva trying to make increasing forays into Bengal. So, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to make strenuous effort at Muslim outreach through sneh sammelans (gathering of love) and Modi Mitra campaigns targeting 65 Muslim-dominated constituencies, including 13 from West Bengal, before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata is in a far better position.