As a gesture of respect and tribute, families of around 50 BJP workers who had lost their lives to TMC led political violence in the West Bengal, have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as he commences his second term in the office.
BJP, given clear strategy and groundwork, has been successful in making huge political inroads in the state, with its vote percentage jumping from a mere 17% in 2014 to more than 40% in 2019 general elections. Jump in the total seats won by the BJP in West Bengal, from 2 in 2014 general election to 18 in the 2019 general elections also followed this spike in vote percentage.
Of the invited families, 46 are of workers killed in violence during the Panchayat polls and five killed in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The families are mostly from Barrackpore, Krishnanagar, Nadia, Purulia, Malda, Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram, South 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Ranaghat, Birbhum and Cooch Behar.
“Support for the party is pouring in from across the state and we have to empathise with the families which lost their near and dear ones in political violence in the state,” said a BJP leader. He also added, “We have sent across a message to our cadres that they need not feel intimidated as the party and its top brass stand strongly with them.”
Recently West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had also confirmed her attendance for the PM’s swearing-in ceremony. “I have spoken to other Chief Ministers also. This is a ceremonial program. There are certain constitutional obligations that we try to fulfill. We will try to attend the event,” Mamata Banerjee said. Mamata’s comments come after a bitter election campaign in Bengal, marred with TMC led violence; Mamata Banerjee had also challenged the federal structure in a bid to garner political steam.
For Narendra Modi’s second oath ceremony, several world leaders, chief ministers and opposition leaders have been invited. Among them are Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who have accepted the invitation. An invitation to the family members of slain BJP workers sure sends a strong signal against political violence which has plagued the green fields of West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee rattled by the meteoric rise of BJP in the state had offered to resign, however not surprisingly her resignation was not accepted by the party. West Bengal goes into assembly elections in 2021 and BJP seems to be in a comfortable spot to consolidate the general elections victory in the state till the assembly polls. Panchayat elections in West Bengal were also plagued by TMC-led violence, in meek attempts to suppress the huge anti-TMC current in the state. Over 20000 seats in panchayat polls went uncontested in the state.
Recently Mamata’s government was also called out for detaining three individuals for chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’. A state which has been seeing perpetual violence first under the communist regimes and now under Mamata’s autocratic dispensation has given a befitting reply to the TMC in this general elections and this anti-TMC momentum is also poised to be carried forward to the 2021 assembly elections.