KOLKATA: Is Trinamool Congress bracing for its hardest ballot in recent years? Is Mamata Banerjee eyeing a countrywide position, most likely that of a kingmaker, since her party is more likely to transform the third-largest in Parliament, after BJP and Congress? A have a look at the record of applicants she has picked seems to signify so. The 42 Trinamool applicants include a mix of battle-scarred veterans and political learners.
Three numbers throw mild on her strategy.
First, about considered one of every three party MPs within the outgoing Lok Sabha has now not made it to the record. Of its 34 MPs, the party has dropped eight and two have give up and joined BJP.
Secondly, greater than twofifths of its nominees — 17 of 42 — have either by no means entered Parliament or are contesting from a new constituency, another indication TMC needs to overcome anti-incumbency.
And, third, over 40% of its ballot tickets have long gone to women, indicating the constituency the party is keen to woo.
This time, the electoral paradigm is heading for a Trinamool-versus-BJP binary in Bengal. The saffron party has emerged as the main opposition and eroded the strengthen base of the Left in lots of districts. The Left and Congress are looking to publish a battle in opposition to TMC and BJP for the sake of their own survival.
After stating the applicants’ record on Tuesday, Mamata too conceded the 2019 ballot used to be “a big challenge” and made it transparent BJP used to be her primary opponent. She even expressed her willingness to campaign in opposition to the saffron party in Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, “if invited through Mayawati or Akhilesh”.
Her assessment is in accordance with the truth that opposition in Bengal is on a weak wicket. Cracks have surfaced in Congress bastions in North Bengal. The Dasmunshi bastion of Raigunj fell in 2014. Similar is the situation in Murshidabad, another Congress stronghold. TMC feels the upward thrust of BJP within the minority-dominated districts will split the opposition votes three-way, indirectly serving to the party. The Left is suffering to retain the 2 seats it had gained in 2014.
Faced with BJP as its primary rival, TMC is looking to make sure it has the best face for each seat, chopping and changing its record of applicants. TMC national secretary Subrata Bakshi opted out of the prestigious Kolkata Dakshin seat to make manner for Kolkata Municipal Corporation chairperson Mala Roy, a seasoned hand at managing the party in addition to the management.
Party veteran and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee used to be picked to battle from Bankura, where BJP is more likely to pose a tough battle.
The more calculated changes were made in areas that have witnessed a saffron surge since 2018 panchayat polls – Bankura, Jhargram, Midnapore and Bolpur.
In Ranaghat, TMC has fielded the widow of MLA Satyajit Biswas, who used to be murdered just lately, from the dominant Matua neighborhood. The party replaced Krishnanagar MP Tapas Pal with Karimpur MLA Mahua Moitra, a familiar face on TV, and fielded former Forward Bloc minister within the Left Front rule, Paresh Adhikari, from Cooch Behar.
TMC pre-empted hills events through nominating Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leader and Darjeeling MLA Amar Singh Rai as its candidate from Darjeeling. BJP may lose this seat, which it has held for a decade, with the Binay Tamang faction backing TMC.
Three numbers throw mild on her strategy.
First, about considered one of every three party MPs within the outgoing Lok Sabha has now not made it to the record. Of its 34 MPs, the party has dropped eight and two have give up and joined BJP.
Secondly, greater than twofifths of its nominees — 17 of 42 — have either by no means entered Parliament or are contesting from a new constituency, another indication TMC needs to overcome anti-incumbency.
And, third, over 40% of its ballot tickets have long gone to women, indicating the constituency the party is keen to woo.
This time, the electoral paradigm is heading for a Trinamool-versus-BJP binary in Bengal. The saffron party has emerged as the main opposition and eroded the strengthen base of the Left in lots of districts. The Left and Congress are looking to publish a battle in opposition to TMC and BJP for the sake of their own survival.
After stating the applicants’ record on Tuesday, Mamata too conceded the 2019 ballot used to be “a big challenge” and made it transparent BJP used to be her primary opponent. She even expressed her willingness to campaign in opposition to the saffron party in Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, “if invited through Mayawati or Akhilesh”.
Her assessment is in accordance with the truth that opposition in Bengal is on a weak wicket. Cracks have surfaced in Congress bastions in North Bengal. The Dasmunshi bastion of Raigunj fell in 2014. Similar is the situation in Murshidabad, another Congress stronghold. TMC feels the upward thrust of BJP within the minority-dominated districts will split the opposition votes three-way, indirectly serving to the party. The Left is suffering to retain the 2 seats it had gained in 2014.
Faced with BJP as its primary rival, TMC is looking to make sure it has the best face for each seat, chopping and changing its record of applicants. TMC national secretary Subrata Bakshi opted out of the prestigious Kolkata Dakshin seat to make manner for Kolkata Municipal Corporation chairperson Mala Roy, a seasoned hand at managing the party in addition to the management.
Party veteran and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee used to be picked to battle from Bankura, where BJP is more likely to pose a tough battle.
The more calculated changes were made in areas that have witnessed a saffron surge since 2018 panchayat polls – Bankura, Jhargram, Midnapore and Bolpur.
In Ranaghat, TMC has fielded the widow of MLA Satyajit Biswas, who used to be murdered just lately, from the dominant Matua neighborhood. The party replaced Krishnanagar MP Tapas Pal with Karimpur MLA Mahua Moitra, a familiar face on TV, and fielded former Forward Bloc minister within the Left Front rule, Paresh Adhikari, from Cooch Behar.
TMC pre-empted hills events through nominating Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leader and Darjeeling MLA Amar Singh Rai as its candidate from Darjeeling. BJP may lose this seat, which it has held for a decade, with the Binay Tamang faction backing TMC.
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March 14, 2019
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