Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned on Trinamool Congress’ much-famed ‘khela hobe’ (we will play the game) poll slogan on its head, and countered it with a ‘vikash hobe’ (let there be development) call.
Speaking at a rally in Purulia — one of the most backward districts in the country and a former Maoist hotbed — Modi promised resolution to pain points of the local populace that include availability of piped drinking water, setting up of ‘Ekalavya’ schools, mainstream connectivity with the upcoming Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and resolution to forced migration with agro-based industries being set-up that will employ local youths.
Improving water supply
Water supply is a major issue in the arid district of Purulia. In January, the district administration sent a proposal to the West Bengal government for setting up drinking water projects. The move was initiated after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the situation there.
Raising the issue, Modi claimed the proposed Purulia Piped Water Supply Project — funded by JICA — has also been going on for nearly eight years now and is “far from completion”.
“Today, water is a major problem in Purulia. People can’t have farming, animal rearing is impossible and people travel kilometers for fetching drinking water. Neither the Left nor the Trinamool took care of this. But, all this will change. We promise to take it up on an urgent basis once voted to power,” the Prime Minister said.
Eleven days after he flagged off the BJP’s biggest poll campaign in the state from a rally in Kolkata, the Prime Minister reiterated the promise of turning Purulia into a eco-tourism spot.
The PM accused the Trinamool of aiding underground Maoist rebels who are now TMC beneficiaries.
From Left to Right
Purulia, located some 300 km from Kolkata, is surrounded by Ayodhya hills and thick forests bordering Jharkhand. The district is dominated by tribals and Kurmi (Mahatos) community. Maoist violence was quite common in the areas till about 2012.
In 2016 Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress convincingly won seven of the nine Assembly seats; Congress won two.
However, in 2018, a flare-up reportedly on communal lines initiated the saffron surge in the once Left and then Trinamool bastions. Several of the Left Front leaders and workers changed over to the saffron camp.
In the 2018 panchayat polls, the BJP gained prominence in the region, winning 645 panchayat seats out of a total of 1,943 seats. As Trinamool and BJP camps became distinct, political violence reared its head.
In 2019, the BJP stamped its presence in the region winning the Purulia Lok Sabha seat, leading in almost all the Assembly segments.
Going all out
Desperate to win, the Trinamool Congress relied heavily on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and nephew Abhishek; and development schemes and cash doles of the state government. The party received a setback after the candidature of one of its leaders in the region was cancelled by the Election Commission and upheld by the Calcutta High Court.
The BJP, meanwhile, has gone hammer and tongs in the region this poll season. Senior leaders like Smriti Irani and Yogi Adityanath have extensively campaigned and the saffron party has also taken out its much-famed “raths” there.
On Monday, the Prime Minister countered the much popular “khela-hobe” slogan. Modi changed the meaning of the ‘khela hobe’ phrase into a sarcastic one; whereby he alleged Banerjee was already playing the game by duping the people of Bengal and the trust they reposed in her.
“Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole chaakri hobe (we will give jobs); Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole vikas hobe (we will bring development); Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole shiksha hobe (We will focus on education). Khela shesh hobe, vikas aarambh hobe. (It’s game over for Trinamool),” he said.