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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             APRIL 03, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    7

                                    ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS SERIES

             Battle for Bengal: Competing strategies

                 shape high-stakes assembly elections

               With voting approaching, parties in West Bengal are deploying sharply different electoral

                      strategies centred on welfare, governance, identity, and grassroots mobilisation

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            rent shaping campaign narratives.
                                                                                                                  Rising  prices  of  LPG,  fuel,  and  es-
            Kolkata / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  sential  commodities  have  become
                  s West Bengal heads into a                                                                      key talking points. Abhishek Baner-
                  two-phase Assembly election                                                                     jee directly targeted the BJP on infla-
            Aon  April  23  and  29,  political                                                                   tion, saying, “The prices of LPG, pet-
            parties are deploying sharply con-                                                                    rol, milk… increased massively.” The
            trasting  strategies—ranging  from                                                                    BJP,  in  turn,  is  focusing  on  alleged
            welfare-driven narratives to identity                                                                 corruption, governance deficits, and
            mobilisation—in a contest that could                                                                  law enforcement failures at the state
            redefine the state’s political trajectory.                                                            level.
                The  ruling  Trinamool  Congress                                                                      The election also comes at a time
            (TMC),  led  by  Chief  Minister  Ma-                                                                 when voter expectations are evolving.
            mata Banerjee, is anchoring its cam-                                                                  Welfare  delivery  remains  crucial,  but
            paign on governance and welfare                                                                       issues such as employment, small busi-
            delivery. The party’s pitch centres on                                                                ness  growth,  and  infrastructure  are
            schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar                                                                      gaining prominence. Both major par-
            and  infrastructure  improvements,                                                                    ties are tailoring their messaging to ad-
            while framing itself as a defender of                                                                 dress these aspirations—TMC through
            Bengal’s autonomy  against  what it   West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee during election campaign at   continuity  and  delivery,  BJP  through
            describes as central interference.        Dubrajpur Assembly Constituency in Birbhum on Thursday. (ANI Photo)  change and governance reform.
                TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee                                                                          Structurally, the election remains
            has sharpened this narrative on the                                                                   bipolar, but margins could be influ-
            campaign  trail.  “Our  Government   BJP leader Dilip Ghosh struck   phasising grassroots mobilisation   enced by micro-level factors—candi-
            is giving money to our Lakshmis…                                    and manifesto participation through   date  selection,  booth  management,
            through  various  state  schemes,”  he  an aggressive tone, saying, “I  its “Bikosito Paschim Banga Sankalp   and turnout variations across regions
            said, contrasting it with the opposi-  have fought with the goons and   Patra”  campaign.  By inviting  public   like North Bengal, Junglemahal, and
            tion. He also accused the Centre of                                 suggestions via digital platforms and   urban belts. The BJP’s expansion in
            withholding funds: “BJP is using a  mafia here. I will fight again…  on-ground  “aspiration  boxes,”  the   northern  districts  and  TMC’s  en-
            remote control to stop our rightful   This time… the BJP will come   party is attempting to project inclu-  trenched rural network will be criti-
            funds… Now it’s your turn to press                                  sivity and policy responsiveness.  cal variables.
            the button for TMC.”              to power.” He added that gov-         Meanwhile, smaller players and    With voting scheduled across
                This  strategy  reflects  a  broader   ernance would change drasti-  emerging alliances could play a spoil-  294 constituencies and counting on
            attempt by the TMC to consolidate                                   er role, particularly in minority-dom-  May 4, the stakes are high for both
            women,  rural,  and  welfare-depen-  cally, warning that “everything  inated constituencies. Asaduddin   sides. For the TMC, it is a test of in-
            dent voters—groups that have been   will change after May 4.”       Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul   cumbency and the durability of its
            central to its electoral success. By                                Muslimeen (AIMIM) has extended    welfare model. For the BJP, it is an
            highlighting  direct  benefit  transfers                            support to regional outfits, aiming to   opportunity to translate organisa-
            and  local  development,  the  par-   The BJP is also recalibrating its   “build  and  strengthen  independent   tional growth into electoral victory in
            ty is seeking to reinforce a gover-  outreach to minority communities—  political leadership for the Muslim   a politically significant state.
            nance-centric image while counter-  traditionally seen as a TMC strong-  minority,” as Owaisi put it.     As  the  campaign  intensifies,
            ing anti-incumbency.              hold. Ghosh questioned the ruling     This intervention introduces a   Bengal’s election is shaping up not
                In  contrast,  the  Bharatiya  Ja-  party’s  record,  stating,  “Even  the   new dynamic into Bengal’s electoral   just  as  a  contest  of  parties,  but  of
            nata Party (BJP) is focusing on law   parties which speak in favour of the   landscape. While the AIMIM may   competing political narratives—wel-
            and  order,  corruption,  and  political   Muslims… have realised that Ma-  not  be  a  major  statewide  force,  its   fare  versus  change,  regional  identi-
            violence—issues it has consistently   mata Banerjee has not done justice.”   presence  could  fragment  minority   ty  versus  national  integration,  and
            raised since emerging as the princi-  This  reflects  a  nuanced  shift  from   votes in closely contested seats—  consolidation versus fragmentation.
            pal foi{k in the 2021 elections, when   earlier polarisation-heavy campaigns   potentially  benefiting  the  BJP  in   The outcome will hinge on which of
            it secured 77 seats. The party is at-  to a mix of development and social   triangular  contests,  or  complicating   these strategies resonates most with
            tempting to convert that base into a   outreach.                    TMC’s consolidation strategy.     voters in a rapidly evolving political
            winning coalition this time.          Organisationally, the BJP is em-  Economics is another undercur-  landscape.

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