Indian leader’s party seeks foothold as elections held in two states
NEW DELHI — Two Indian states with sizable Muslim populations began voting in local elections Saturday in a test of strength for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist agenda is being challenged by months of farmer protests and a new wave of the pandemic.
Top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Modi, have campaigned heavily to win West Bengal for the first time and dislodge the state’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, as well as retain power in northeastern Assam state.
The party has for years been accused of stoking religious polarization and discriminating against minority groups, and it faces stiff challenges in both states with populations that are nearly 30% Muslim. Nationwide, Muslims comprise nearly 14% of the 1.4 billion people, while Hindus make up 80%.
“The BJP’s success depends on if it is able to polarize Hindu votes to a huge extent and get half of the 70% of Hindu votes,” said Subir Bhowmik, a political analyst.
The elections are seen as crucial for the party to gain a foothold in the northeast and south.
The votes come as tens of thousands of farmers rattle Modi’s government with prolonged protests on the fringes of the capital, New Delhi. India’s economy is still struggling to emerge from the coronavirus crisis — another pivotal challenge for Modi, who came into office partly on promises of economic development. And cases are rising again, even as an expansive vaccination campaign has begun.
Thousands of paramilitary soldiers and local police were guarding voting stations to prevent clashes between rival supporters.
Manmohan Singh, a former prime minister and an opposition Congress party leader, criticized the Bhara- tiya Janata Party’s Hindu nationalism, saying society was being divided on the basis of religion, culture and language.
“The basic rights of the common man are being denied, and there is an atmosphere of tension and fear,” Singh said.
In West Bengal, rival groups have attacked each other with sticks and rocks and set vehicles on fire during campaigning. Images of Banerjee, who’s been addressing large crowds from a wheelchair after a leg injury, have set the tone for a tough battle.
Banerjee leads a powerful regional party, the All India Trinamool Congress, which came to power 10 years ago after ending more than three decades of Communist Party rule.
On Saturday, Banerjee objected to Modi visiting a Matua Hindu community leader’s temple during his trip to neighboring Bangladesh, where he is participating in the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.
Members of the Matua community live in both India and Bangladesh, with a large number in the Bangladeshi town of Orakandi. Modi on Saturday prayed at the Matua temple as part of his two-day visit.
Banerjee accused him of trying to influence the voting by the Matua community in West Bengal state, where members represent nearly 10 million of the 70 million voters.