West Bengal breathes politics and all else is of secondary importance there. This was so under the decades-long rule of the Left and the scenario remains unchanged under the TMC dispensation too. The state is currently facing intense heat over the panchayat polls on July 8, with the ruling Trinamool and the principal opposition, the BJP engaged in extensive campaigning for over 75,000 seats. Chances of massive violence cannot be discounted in view of the aggressive nature of politics there. In this context, the Supreme Court’s nod on Tuesday to allow deployment of central forces there in addition to the local police force is a wise decision.
It was natural for the TMC government led by Mamata Banerjee to move the Supreme Court and challenge a high court order in favour of central force deployment during the ongoing campaign and the polling. While the plea for central force deployment was made by Opposition BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, this could put the central forces in a tricky situation. Whichever way they act, accusations and counter-accusations could follow. But, what’s of urgency is to ensure peaceful polling. The BJP has its concerns as the goons-brigade of the TMC had in the past demonstrated a proclivity to browbeat voters and ‘capture’ booths. Notably, the popularity of the chief minister remains high. To her credit, Banerjee did not concede much space to the opposition – be it the BJP or the Congress or the down-and-out Left as successive elections in recent years have shown. The state did give a substantial number of MP seats to the BJP in the 2019 polls, but stood steadfastly behind Banerjee in the assembly polls later. The panchayat polls too might be a cakewalk for the ruling Trinamool, considering the hold the CM has on the masses. But election results are unpredictable.
The results of the panchayat polls could prove to be a foretaste of the upcoming parliament polls 10 months hence, though both these polls are materially different. The voters know as much. Yet, the civic polls could test the extent of growth the BJP achieved in the state after the last assembly polls. There already is a polarization of political forces in the state. The steady growth for the BJP there is at the cost of the Congress and the Left. The goons of the Left are now with the TMC, giving it too much muscle-power. If the BJP wins a sizable number of panchayats, Banerjee will have a serious problem at hand. She will have to remain rooted in the state to defend her fort rather than flying around and fancying the PM’s post.