West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is demanding entry into the assembly from the constituency.
There was a time when it was easy to have long conversations about politics with strangers in Kolkata – and it wasn’t that long ago. But today, when you ask people about the September 30 bypoll to Bhabnipur constituency in the city where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting to gain entry into the state assembly, many of them find themselves Makes excuses saying they are “non-political”.
His hesitation is understandable: the election result is a foregone conclusion and expressing an opinion is meaningless, even at a time when it is wise not to publicly take sides unless you belong to a political party.
Bhawanipur – or Bhawanipur – is diverse as an assembly seat. It may be located in the heart of Kolkata, but it may pass as a mini-India. A large proportion of its population consists of non-Bengalis: Sikhs, Gujaratis, Marwaris, Marathis and Biharis. Many say this is the reason why Ms. Banerjee decided to contest the 2021 election from Nandigram instead of registering successive victories from Bhabanipur in 2011 and 2016: she feared that the non-Bengali vote would all join the BJP after the prime minister’s aggressive campaign. Will go to Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Her party, the Trinamool Congress, insists that after local party veteran Suvendu Adhikari switched to the BJP, she stood from Nandigram as an assurance to the voters there. However, she lost to Mr Adhikari by a narrow margin and is now once again seeking re-election from Bhabnipur, which was vacated for her by her party’s Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the 2021 winner.
“I am involved in my business, I am not interested in politics,” says a Sikh vendor outside Bhabnipur. Gurudwara, skills related to your religion, such as selling steel bangles and headscarves. Across the road from his stall in Gurmukhi is a billboard urging Sikh voters to vote. Bengal di daughter – Daughter of Bengal. Ms. Banerjee visited Gurudwara earlier this week.
While his opponents are politically mild – Priyanka Tibrewal of the BJP and Shreejib Biswas of the CPI(M) – and his victory may be certain, the TMC is not taking a risk. Hoardings in different languages have been put up in Bhawanipur, asking people to vote for their ‘apne beti’. The campaign meetings have started and party workers are going door to door.
“love of a motherd Don’t face the challenge. She lost the 2021 election to her BJP rival Antley and her CPI(M) rival had also failed to win the councilor election in 2015. If anything, he is more popular than ever,” says Shubhankar Roychowdhury, general secretary of Bhawanipur Durgotsav Samiti. A prominent Durga Puja committee. “And you know what will be our theme for this year’s puja? It will be ‘Khela Hobe’ [the TMC’s war cry during the Assembly election] — Only that our intention is to promote sports after India [impressive] performance at the Tokyo Olympics.”
Kolkata-born Gujarati Hitesh Doshi (name changed), who runs a boutique in Chakraberia, a part of the constituency, also agrees that Ms. Banerjee’s popularity has only grown in the past few months. “Earlier she was in the minds of people, now she is in their hearts. His welfare schemes, especially the Dua Sarkar [government at the doorstep], is proving to be a huge hit. This election is just a formality,” he says.
Fruit seller Suman Mahato, who has spread her wares on the pavement in the nearby Jadu Babu market, is also in favor of the Chief Minister. “She has increased MGNREGA salary from ₹3,700 per month to ₹5,400. Also, a bonus for Durga Puja has already been credited in my account. I have recently applied for Widow Pension and should get it soon. i’m all for Elder sister,” says Ms Mahto, who sprinkles bleaching powder in the neighborhood in the morning and sells fruits for the rest of the day.
Sailen Gupta, a tea seller, whose ancestors are from Kanpur and run a stall nearby, says, “There is no BJP presence in this area. The local TMC people know each of us by our name and face. They stand by us in times of need. BJP does not have such people here.
.