The swearing-in of Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal’s Chief Minister marks a definitive shift in the state’s politics, with implications not only for the state but also for India. West Bengal is a major state that has resisted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideology, politics, and governance model for many years, but has now overwhelmingly shifted its allegiance to the party. The party’s progress from three seats in the 2016 Assembly polls to over 200 now has been consistent and marked by hard work at the ideological, organisational, and leadership levels. Politics and governments in West Bengal have endured for long periods and then undergone sudden shifts. It has happened this time too, though the signs of change have been seen for years. Though the Election Commission of India’s controversial SIR process, which denied voting rights to lakhs of people, and its security and administrative measures during the campaign may have had an impact on the polls, the electorate’s desire for a change cannot be disputed.
Mamata Banerjee had thrived on regional identity politics, projecting herself as the defender of the state against an overbearing Centre and a majoritarian ideology. The BJP has offered a new identity framework based on national integrity, border security, citizenship, and demographic anxieties. It used issues such as illegal migration and minority appeasement, and succeeded in effecting religious polarisation to create a popular narrative in its favour. There was an anti-incumbency sentiment against the Trinamool Congress government centring on unemployment, corruption, misgovernance, and law-and-order issues. The political capital Mamata had gained from welfare politics and her standing among women suffered erosion, and the minority votes she had relied on were not enough to sustain her. The BJP secured a mandate for change in this setting.
The new government has promised a rejuvenation of the state’s politics, economy, and society, but it faces serious challenges. There are immediate governance challenges, as shown by the killing of Suvendu’s aide. West Bengal has seen ruling parties using violence for domination and oppression, only to later get trapped in the culture of violence. It works against all parties in the course of time. Employment generation, industrialisation, infrastructure development, and economic improvement are major tasks before the government. It will get support from the Union government, but may have to start showing results in quick time. The society’s inclusive nature needs to be preserved, especially because Muslims constitute about 30% of the population. Suvendu is known for his militant Hindutva polemic and polarising rhetoric, like his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma. No government can perform or promote people’s welfare in a divisive social and political environment, and in a state of perpetual mobilisation. (Source: DH)
