Kolkata (West Bengal): Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in five states within the next few days. However, the political temperature is particularly high in West Bengal these days. There is intense rhetoric from all political parties. The BJP is alleging that Bangladesh is under the control of infiltrators and that a large number of infiltrators are present there. Amidst the elections, actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty said, “As long as I have a drop of blood in my body, no one can turn West Bengal into Bangladesh.” The BJP is busy making the issue of infiltration in Bengal an election issue.
Mithun Chakraborty stated that illegal cross-border migration directly impacts local employment opportunities. He added that even areas with limited resources are experiencing a rapid population growth. This directly impacts local residents, who struggle to find jobs and earn daily wages.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been a major issue in Bengal since its inception. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission have colluded to remove a large number of people from the state’s voter lists. However, the BJP has consistently accused Mamata Banerjee of playing politics.
Responding to the TMC’s questions about SIR, Mithun said that a large number of BJP voters have also been deleted. The TMC’s allegations are completely false. He also accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of funding madrasas. Mithun said that so much filth has spread in Bengal that it will take a broom to clean it up. This time, the devil has awakened. This time, change must happen, and if it doesn’t, you will go, and I will too.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of harboring infiltrators since its inception. Whether it’s local leaders in the state or those in Delhi, everyone has the same stance on the issue of infiltration. Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on behalf of the BJP, released a 35-page “white paper” on the TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal. It raised a total of five issues. The white paper claims that 569 km of the 2,216.7 km long international border between West Bengal and Bangladesh remains unfenced, encouraging infiltration.
The BJP also alleged that the state government was helping infiltrators obtain fake identity cards to build a vote bank, impacting national security and population balance. The BJP has consistently made this a major election issue, while the TMC has consistently denied these allegations. The issue is likely to intensify in the coming days.
The main contest in the Bengal elections is between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the TMC. Through this election, the BJP is attempting to win its last bastion. While the BJP received a positive response in Bengal in the 2021 assembly elections, it underperformed in the Lok Sabha elections. At that time, the BJP won only 12 seats. However, the party has been active there for a long time. Therefore, this time’s election results will reveal whether the BJP can win the hearts of the people of Bengal or whether people will once again place their trust in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
