High stakes Bhawanipore campaign ends with a ‘jolt’
Campaigning for the high-octane Bhawanipore bypoll came to an end at 5pm on Monday as the election is slated for September 30.
The bypoll in Bhawanipore is a “sequel” to the Assembly election held earlier this year which the TMC had swept. However, the bypoll was necessitated after Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee has to return victorious within six months from May 2, 2021, to retain her post of Chief Minister. The campaigning saw claims and counter-claims by both the candidates of the TMC and the BJP. While Mamata banked on homegrown leaders like Firad Hakim and almost singlehandedly handled the campaign, the BJP, on the other hand, had an impressive lineup of Union ministers like Hardeep Puri, Smriti Irani and central leaders like Sambit Patra and Manoj Tiwari.
The focus, undoubtedly, was ALL ABOUT ‘BELONGING’ TO Bengal yet wooing the Gujaratis, Marwaris and Sikhs who form a sizeable chunk of the voters. Both the candidates and all the central leaders were at their eloquent best and everyone wanted to flaunt their Bengal connection. It was time for them to showcase their roots in Bengal and Bengaliyana. If Smriti Irani said her mother is a Bengali, Manoj Tiwari reminded voters that he used to work in Kolkata and owned a house in the city.
However, Mamata at times made urgent pleas to the people of the area to vote for her so that she retained her CM post to continue with the development work. This bypoll, on the face value, does not hold any statute crisis, but means a lot to Mamata.
The magnificent way the TMC swept the assembly poll had catapulted Mamata into the national arena and now she is considered as a leader of national consequence as far as the Opposition front is concerned. A defeat in the bypoll would mean a huge drubbing in this regard for her. However, a leader of her
ELECTION DATE: September 30 COUNTING ON: October 3
stature has seen the ups and downs of politics.
The constituency comprises 8 civic wards with a total of 2,06, 389 voters.
Is there a constitutional crisis if the TMC loses? Not really. The government stays, the party will have to look for a CM. What are Mamata’s chances thereafter? She has to stand from another seat to win to become the CM.
HOW THE CAMPAIGNING ENDED
Between 11am and 11.30am: BJP national vicepresident Dilip Ghosh got off his convoy near Jadu Babu Bazar and on seeing him the TMC supporters chanted ‘Joy Bangla’ and rushed towards him.
Soon after, BJP supporters chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and stones were pelted at the BJP supporters leading to the injury of a youth wing leader, Mukund Jha. TMC supporters allegedly tried to mob Ghosh and his security men following which his guards flashed their revolvers to protect him.
AROUND NOON: Dilip Ghosh went on a door-to-door campaign and again TMC workers chanted ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan following which the BJP national vice-president had to leave the place.