The BJP is perhaps the only outfit that is gaining silently but steadily in Bengal. Thanks to the Narendra Modi wave that is creating ripples in most parts of the country.
With the mighty Marxists down and nearly out after 34 years of unquestioned hegemony and a barrage of scams hitting the ruling Trinamool Congress hard, the BJP seems to have struck the imagination of a large section of electorate senior State leaders feel.
The party’s membership has more than doubled in the past one year or so, insiders say. “More, so after Narendra Modi’s selection as the prime ministerial candidate.”
According to State BJP president Rahul Sinha, the total membership of the party in the State has gone beyond the seven lakh mark. That too, in the face of Trinamool violence, when most other outfits are finding it difficult to stay afloat in the State, BJP State leaders feel.
According to inside sources, while the BJP had about three lakh members in the year 2011 its strength has more than doubled in the past little more than two years. And “in the past six-eight months more than two lakh people have joined our party”.
The increase of membership is attributed to two main reasons says Sinha. “First the BJP is fast coming up as a viable alternative in Bengal. The people of this State have seen 34 years of Marxist misrule. They have seen how the State has been rendered bankrupt the left. Disgusted with the Marxists they brought a Parivartan in the form of Mamata Banerjee. But her Government is going in the same direction as the left Front. The people are feeling betrayed and deceived,” says Sinha.
The second reason behind the expansion of the saffron outfit is its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, feels the State leadership. “Narendrabahi’s name has worked wonders in Bengal. The people seem to have immense faith in that name. They have started to believe that only Modi can turn the fortunes of this State. The BJP has benefitted immensely by his coming to the centre stage,” says Sinha.
Apart from the overall rise in membership of the party the BJP has seen a phenomenal increase in the number of students joining its students’ arm Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. According to party MP Siddharthnath Singh and its co-observer for Bengal ABVP has enrolled 45,000 new members into its fold. Not only this the minority and the women’s wings have also seen about 50 per cent jump over the past a few months.
Traditionally the BJP has had a support base of about 5-6 per cent of the total votes in the State. However a recent opinion poll survey says the outfit may garner more than 11 per cent votes finishing ahead of the Congress regarded as a mainstream outfit.
In fact, the BJP had given good fight in Jangipur parliamentary by-elections in Murshidabad district polling more than 85,000 votes. Apart from this, the party has good support base in border districts of North Bengal, Birbhum, Howrah and parts of Jangalmahal.
Sections of the party which is planning to contest from all the 42 seats in the State also feel that too much of minoritism pursued by the left, Congress and now Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has started mobilising voters under one umbrella.
“Allowances given by the Chief Minister to Imams and Muezzims has irked a large section of people,” says a senior leader adding “even a section of the Muslims do not appreciate it”.
Meanwhile, the BJP is going all out in preparation for Modi’s February 5 rally in Kolkata. According to rough estimates made by the leaders, the party could witness more than five lakh people attending the rally.