The grand entry of the Bharatiya Janata Party in national politics began with the religious and political rally in the year 1990, which is popularly known as the “Ram Rath Yatra”. The Rath Yatra was scheduled to begin from Somnath and was planned to culminate at Ayodhya. It became one of India’s biggest mass movements with the procession covering upto 300 kilometres in a single day, which also saw as many as six public rallies by the leader of the yatra and the then BJP president, L K Advani. The Rath Yatra solidified BJP’s position in national politics and made it a force to reckon with. Taking inspiration from the same, the West Bengal unit of the BJP has decided to organize three Rath Yatras which will cover all the 42 parliamentary constituencies of the state in December 2018. The decision was announced by West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh. The Lok Sabha elections which are to be held in 2019 will be an intense battle in the state and this will help BJP in uniting the Hindus of West Bengal who are suffering under Mamata’s rule rife with minority appeasement.
Talking about the planning for the Rath Yatra, Dilip Ghosh said, “The first Rath yatra will start from the temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district on December 3. Party president Amit Shah is likely to take part in it,” he further added, “He is very keen on taking part in all the three yatras. But his dates need to be worked out. Union ministers, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and senior party leaders will take part in the rally.” This shows that BJPs central leadership recognizes the importance to win seats in West Bengal and is all set to back up the decision taken by its state unit president. The results of the recently held panchayat polls in the state have proved that BJP is more than capable of winning more seats in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal than the measly 2 seats it currently holds. The promise to hold NRC in the state if BJP is voted into power was also announced a few months back by the president of state unit of the party. All it needs to win over the voters of the state is a message, that it is ready to face off against the goons and criminals of TMC. Organizing the Rath Yatra, therefore, is a masterstroke considering it will not only dispel all doubts over BJP’s intentions for solidly contesting in the state but will also unite and solidify its voter base.
BJP has emerged as the biggest opposition to TMC in the state as it looks all set to retain its position in the centre in the 2019 elections. It is therefore, trying to increase its chances of winning seats in constituencies which were organically opposed to it. The results of state assembly elections in Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and other states have proved that the party is more than capable of making inroads into alien territories. TMC today stands in a vulnerable spot in West Bengal. Mamata and other leaders have proved through their actions that they fully believe in minority appeasement and are as anti-Hindu as anyone can be. TMC also has earned the reputation of being a party which maintains cadres of thugs and goons and has therefore maintained the tradition of vandalism in the state which was started by the Communist parties. BJP has everything to gain in the state and it enjoys the popular majority as of today, the wave of PM Modi and the party is still going strong and will derail any opposition which comes against it. The Rath Yatra is an important step taken by the BJP to convince its voter base and to attract fresh faces to the party in West Bengal, a commendable step indeed.