Union home minister Amit Shah with Suvendu Adhikari at a rally in West Midnapore district on December 19, 2020. (PTI Photo)

Union home minister Amit Shah with Suvendu Adhikari at a rally in West Midnapore district on December 19, 2020. (PTI Photo)

Bengal in its teeth-gritting state

After the Bihar elections, the BJP's complete focus is on West Bengal. The parliament elections scheduled to be held in April and May are already in full swing. Amit Shah has announced that he will turn Mamata Banerjee into a mere grassroots candidate by capturing 200 seats among the 294 member assembly. They have also begun to stir their actions according to it.

This time the election is under the direct supervision of Amit Shah. They are also aiming to make West Bengal the BJP's new hotspot in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Recent events have shown that the BJP will go to great lengths to capture Bengal. Mamata Banerjee's tensions have been heightened by the ousting of a few Trinamool Congress MLAs. To what extent can Modi-Amit Shah overthrow a fighter who has made the Congress and CPM who have been there decades in the political arena, kneel before her?

However, in a state where the BJP was not even a nominal force, they are raising a different challenge to Mamata than ever before.

Mamata cannot come in power for the third time without overcoming the obstacles of terror inflicted politics and central power both functioning hand in hand. It's not just the BJP, but also the old rivals, the CPM and the Congress are waiting to witness Mamata fall face down. Though the number one enemy is the BJP, it is a fact that they have two main enemies in the political arena of Vanganad (ancient Bengal). The question before Mamata is how she can effectively confront her three blood quenching enemies.

Today, Mamata Banerjee is in a dilemma to resolve the issues at the earliest that arose in her own camp before fighting them. Amit Shah and his gang, who had no base in Bengal, are trying to overthrow the Trinamool Congress. When the effort began years ago, the main weapon still is the Central Investigation Agency.

The Saradha Chit Fund scam and the Narada sting operation paved the way for them to break in. Mamata's confidant Mukul Roy, who was involved in the incident, was rounded up by the investigating agency. It was after that, in 2017, Mukul Roy joined the BJP. Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP yesterday, was Mamata's, right-hand man. Suvendu has long been under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.

Mamata has suffered a heavier loss than Mukul Roy during Suvendu's additional entry. The son of Shishir Adhikari, who was a minister in Manmohan Singh's cabinet, has extensive connections in South East Bengal. It was Suvendu Adhikari who was the cornerstone of Mamata's Singur and Nandigram struggles, which had uprooted the CPM. There are other circumstances in the Trinamool where the BJP was able to overthrow Suvendu. One of them is the innocence that Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee gained in the party.

Abhishek's growth is rising as if he is Mamata's heir apparent. A journey pushing aside the Trinamool leaders who had moved mountains with toil and sweat in the struggle with the CPM. It has now become unbearable for many. Another factor is that Prashant Kishore has been promoted as the scapegoat of electioneering.

These two, who have to answer only to Mamata, are the ones making important decisions in the Trinamool Congress today. It is alleged that Mamata is not aware of some decisions among it. Even some of the leaders who are sure that they will not go to another party see Prashant Kishore as a 'Modi agent'.

They are of the opinion that it should be looked in with suspicion in the party that Prashant Kishore, who was behind Modi's victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is still on good terms with BJP leaders.

While the Prashant Kishore and Abhishek Banerjee axis play a crucial role in deciding the party's candidates, there is another section that is worried about getting tickets. This is as much capital to the BJP's 'Mission Bengal' goal. On the other hand, the fact is that the BJP doesn't have a strong CM to face and stand against Mamata.

The BJP portrays the Trinamool Congress as a mere paper crafted palace although it has won 211 seats in the 294 - member assembly. The last election witnessed CPM that had powerful members reduced to winning 26 seats and the Congress to 44 seats.

The party which had won three seats and 10 per cent has its new target of capturing the 200 seats that Amit Shah has announced.

BJP is spending a huge amount of money and time to capture West Bengal. Recent developments have also shown that the BJP, which uses any chance to climb up, is waiting for new troubles in the state. The BJP is standing by the call to transcend Mamata's usual anger. The Modi government's intervention in West Bengal is unusual and outrageous.

The BJP and the central government have declared a state of law and order in the state following the stoning of BJP president J.P Nadda's convoy on December 10. New confrontations are happening between the Center and the state because of it. The BJP is seizing the opportunity and has declared that it will not spare the one who has stoned the president of the ruling party.

Home Minister Amit Shah is about to directly enter the battleground. Governor Uranjuthulli, the BJP's representative at the Raj Bhavan, has summoned the Chief Secretary and the DGP.

.A report is sent to the Center that law and order has been disrupted. The Home Ministry summons the Chief Secretary and DGP to Delhi. Mamata suggests not to go. The enraged Center asks three IPS officers assigned to Nadda's security duty to return to central service, abusing extraordinary provisions of the APS cadre rules. Mamata argues that she cannot leave them.

Another version of the drama is when the CBI tried to take Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar into custody during the previous Lok Sabha elections and Mamata staged a dharna. On the other hand, five BJP members, including Mukul Roy, who are facing criminal charges by the state government, are coming to the Supreme Court to avoid arrest.

The Home Minister is flying to Bengal to take the helm of new strategies. The series is thus progressing. Where there should be a healthy relationship between the centre and the state, we are witnessing the federal principles blown in the wind. The state says the centre is not providing the financial, development and COVID prevention assistance it deserves. The Center claims that central schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi are not being implemented in the state. It is clear that the conflict will escalate in the coming weeks and months. West Bengal is becoming tenser. There is growing concern that the election season could be a time of bloody war.

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