Bengal Bengal will start its campaign on June 9, with Amit Shah kicking off a virtual gathering. (File)
Kolkata:
With less than a year to go before the West Bengal Assembly elections, the political confrontation between the ruling TMC and its main challenger BJP is expected to intensify, with both sides making every effort to connect with people in the virtual space in the middle of containment.
With the ever-increasing number of coronavirus cases, physical distance and minimal human contact have become the new norm everywhere, leaving the main political rivals of Bengal to rely on social media for support.
The BJP and TMC, who have accused each other of managing the situation of COVID-19, the plight of migrant workers and Cyclone Amphan, are all ready to launch a blitzkrieg on various virtual platforms, tearing each other apart . The TMC was the first to leave the bloc with its supremo Mamata Banerjee who held a virtual meeting with officials and public representatives on June 5, outlining the party’s strategy for the polls.
The BJP of Bengal will take the plunge on June 9, with the Union’s Minister of the Interior and BJP leader Amit Shah kicking off a virtual rally. BJP West Bengal MP Dilip Ghosh said it was important to prepare an action plan to highlight the poor governance of the TMC-led dispensation, as well as to reach Internet users.
“We can very well say that Amit Shah, will launch the virtual campaign for the elections of the assembly 2021. Because of COVID, it is not possible to organize rallies or mass rallies. We therefore have recourse to social media campaigns to communicate with the people and highlight poor governance of TMC in the state. COVID and Cyclone Amphan will be the main voting boards for next year’s polls, “said M Ghosh,
The BJP, which last week released a “nine-point indictment” against Mamata Banerjee’s reign for so many years, recently launched a social media campaign called “Aar Noi Mamata” (which is no longer the reign of Mamata Banderjee).
According to BJP sources, the party plans to hold more than 1,000 virtual rallies, covering every nook and cranny of the state.
“As executives have been sitting at home for two months, these virtual gatherings and online programs will motivate and boost their morale. We will hold such gatherings, with our heads of state and district speaking to people across the country. The executives will post messages and videos on Whatsapp highlighting the state government’s failures to resolve the migrant crisis, “said the head of the BJP.
The TMC government, which had faced poor management of the COVID situation and the delay in restoration work after Cyclone Amphan, also launched a massive campaign last week, with public representatives in their constituencies. assembly conducting virtual meetings.
High Minister of State and TMC leader Firhad Hakim said the party should effectively fight BJP propaganda and its “peddling of fake news”, while noting “the excellent work of our government in over the past nine years.
“Mamatadi asked us to prepare the assembly polls for 2021 without further delay. We were asked to promote the achievements of the state government and the failures of the Union government in tackling the COVID situation and the migrant worker crisis, despite the unplanned foreclosure, “said Hakim.
The party will draw public attention to the recent decision of the state government to transfer 20,000 rupees to the bank accounts of each of the five Lakh families affected by the cyclone, and to the insurance of an additional 28,000 rupees in as part of the MNREGA program.
The TMC online team has posted videos and photos of the pandemic’s apparent “mismanagement” in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
According to TMC sources, Banerjee also asked district leaders to launch door-to-door campaigns respecting standards of social distancing, while stressing the importance of maintaining transparency at the bottom.
“In the post-COVID world, the campaigns will no longer be the same. The focus will be more on online initiatives,” said a TMC executive.
The opposition CPI (M) and the Congress, however, criticized the two parties for having focused their attention on the electoral campaigns, in the midst of “insurmountable” crises.
It is astonishing to see how the two parties can speak of “political campaigns at this time, when thousands of unfortunate people are still waiting for help,” said an ICC leader (M).
