Politics of West Bengal

In East India ,there is a state named West Bengal. This state is situated in between the Himalayas and Bay of Bengal. The capital of west Bengal is Kolkata. It is the state of colonial landmarks which includes the government buildings around B.B.D, Bagh Square and the iconic, memorial and incredible Victoria Memorial, dedicated to Britain’s queen.

 West Bengal is also known as Paschim Bengal. West Bengal is the fourth most populated state and the fourteenth largest state by area in India. It covers an area of 88752 km^2. Paschim Bengal is also the seventh most populated country subdivision of the world.

The politics of West Bengal is dominated by the four major political parties. These parties are as follows:-

1)- All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) 

2)- BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) 

3)- INC (Indian National Congress) 

4)- Communist Party of India Marxist (CPIM) 

All these parties are bitter enemy of each other from many decades.

There is parliamentary system of representative democracy in West Bengal. In West Bengal there are two branches of government , first one is West Bengal Legislative Assembly which contains all the elected members of the legislative assembly election. It also contains the Speaker and Deputy Speaker , who are the elected by the members.

Second one is the Judiciary , which composed of Kolkata High Court and the systems of lower courts. Chief Minister is the head of the Council of the Ministers. Governor is the head of the state which is appointed by the president of India. This state has 42 seats for the Lok Sabha, 16 seats for the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament. It also consist the 295 members of legislative assembly along with one nominated from the Anglo – Indian community. 

Basically, the politics of West Bengal is totally related to Casteism, Religion, and Poverty. In Kolkata out of 100 there is only 0.28% schedule tribes and 5.38% schedule casts live in the city. But in whole state 23% SC and 5.5% ST population lived.

In 1947, the west Bengal become the India’s independence state, along with religious lines into two separate entities.

1)- Paschim Bengal or West Bengal a independence state of India.

2)- Pakistan or east Bengal Now Bangladesh.

From the independence of west Bengal-1947 to 1962 , the Indian National Congress was ruled in west Bengal. B.C Roy was the congress Chief Minister in 1954. In 1954 there was massive food crisis took place in the state, this was like famine condition in west Bengal.

In 1967, Ajoy Mukharjee were newly elected Chief Minister of the state. He was related from the Bangla Congress Party. But in 1967, Naxalbari movement was upraised, in the part of northern west Bengal. By this Naxalbari movement the state was totally repressed. Due to this movement it caused the severe power shortage , strikes and a violent and also damage the state infrastructure.

After the Liberation war from Bangladesh in 1971, there were millions of refugees influx in the state west Bengal. Smallpox epidemic in 1974 killed thousands of people in west Bengal.

In 1969 , there were fresh election held in west Bengal. Communist Party of India (Marxist) became the largest party in west Bengal election. Again Ajoy Mukharjee became the Chief Minister of the state with the support from active largest party CPIM.

16 March , 1970 Mukharjee resigned from the Chief Minister post and President rule occurred in west Bengal in 1970.

In 1972 , general assembly elections Siddhartha Shankar Ray was the newly elected Chief Minister of the state. He was from Indian National congress party.

In 1975, Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi proclaimed nationwide emergency.

In 1977 another state election was held in west Bengal. This election was headed by the left front. In this election more than 240 seats won by the CPIM.

Jyoti Basu became the newly elected Chief Minister of the state. They are related from the first left front party who ruled in west Bengal.

Marichijhanpi Massacre incident comes into the attack in 1979. This massacre took place in Bengal in January 26 and May 16, 1979.

Mukul Roy , Suvendu Adhikari and Sovan Chatterjee are the key players for Bhartiya Janta Party in Bengal election. All three are the election head called manager for BJP in West Bengal election. Mukul Roy is the BJP vice president in present time. 

All the election head came from TMC to BJP just before the election.

The main issue of this west Bengal was Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019.

Because lots of Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh was created because Muslims of India asked for separate nation. In January 2020, there was BJP’s Bengali booklet released. This claimed that the National Register for Citizens (NRC).

This document will help to implement to identify the undocumented illegal Muslims, immigrants. By the help of Citizenship Amendment Act there are various religion will be shielded. The religions are as follows-

1- Hindu

2- Sikh

3- Buddhist

4- Christian

5- Jain

6- Parsi

The another issue of this Bengal election was COVID-19 Pandemic.

From BJP side main points for election are as follows-

1) Parivartan

2) Corruption

3) Employment

4) Health and Medical Facilities

5) Polarisation Politics

6) Identity Politics

7) Women empowerment

8) Communal Politics

9) Development

In this Bengal election AIMIM head Asaduddin Owaisi will play a role of kingmaker after the alliance with Furfura Sharif cleric Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui. It influenced about the 30% Muslims voters.

The “Jai Shree Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” was the slogan of BJP in Bengal election while the TMC slogan was “Jai Bangla”. 

Basically, The west Bengal election totally a conditional election because all the parties make their promise from the people of state we will do for you many things but after election they forgets everything. People think that any government which are elected by them will help change the conditions of the state will think about us but after election they changes.