IF THE FIRST few phases are any indication, the West Bengal elections are fast becoming a two-horse race. The finish line might be weeks away, but the manner in which the BJP has matched the Trinamool’s cadre strength on the ground—especially in Nandigram—has sowed seeds of doubt in the minds of some leaders of the ruling party. In fact, Mamata’s strategists had to take to social media to quell rumours that she would be contesting from another seat in the later phases. They assured voters that Mamata would win Nandigram. “We had anticipated that (rumours),” said a senior Trinamool MP. “They would play psychological games during the elections. It was done to hit the morale of our workers.”
BJP insiders said that the Nandigram model—fighting fire with fire— would be followed across the state in the next phases. Said state BJP vice president Biswapriya Roychowdhury: “This model is nothing but a method of resistance. We will not let the TMC rig the elections. In every booth, our men and women would guard the voters and keep an eye on the TMC polling agents.”
The next two phases would see polling in two districts of North Bengal, and Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas in South Bengal. While the BJP has done well in the north, it will be looking to breach Mamata’s bastion in the south. The party has lined up a series of rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and roadshows by Home Minister Amit Shah.
This story is from the April 18, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 18, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Divides And Dividends
Contrasting narratives on the scrapping of Article 370 define the elections in Jammu and Kashmir
Playing it cool
Everybody knows what 420 means in the Indian context. But in American parlance it is something very different: four-twenty or 4/20 or April 20 denotes cannabis celebration; its cultural references are rooted in the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s.
The heroine's new clothes
Who else but Sanjay Leela Bhansali could bring on a wardrobe reset like the one in his just-dropped period piece—an eight-part Netflix series called Heeramandi?
AI & I
Through her book Code Dependent—shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction—Madhumita Murgia gives voice to the voiceless multitudes impacted by artificial intelligence
Untold tales from war
Camouflaged is a collection of 10 deeply researched stories, ranging from the world wars to the 26/11 terror attacks
Hair force
Sheetal Mallar, in her photobook Braided, uses hair as a metaphor to tell a story that is personal yet universal
THE WHITE TIGER GAVE ME CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITIES
The first time Adarsh Gourav made an impression was in Ramin Bahrani's 2021 film The White Tiger, a gripping adaptation of Aravind Adiga's Booker-winning novel.
The art of political protest
The past doesn’t always remain in the past. Sometimes, it emerges in the present, reminding us about the universality and repetitiveness of the human experience. Berlin’s George Grosz Museum, a tiny gem, is a startling reminder that modern political and social ills are not modern. Grosz lived through World Wars I and II, shining a torch into the heart of darkness in high-ranking men and women—who were complicit in the collapse of the world as they knew it.
REFUELLING DYING SATELLITES
A Chennai company is making waves in the world of space tech startups
DIVERSITY IN UNITY
THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY IN THE US HAS SEVERAL THINGS IN COMMON, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS, THERE ARE WIDELY DIFFERING OPINIONS AND FEELINGS