Bengal polls: Leaders go all out, campaign on wheelchairs, bullock carts, boats
Earlier this week, the BJP organised a wheelchair rally in Kolkata to seek justice for over 130 party workers they claimed were allegedly murdered by the TMC. The ruling party has rubbished the allegations several times in the past
With just around a week left before the crucial assembly elections begin in West Bengal, candidates from political parties are campaigning in full swing and using all possible modes of transport—from bullock carts and boats to raths (chariots) and helicopters—to reach out to the people.
The latest in line is the wheelchair. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee first started campaigning on a wheelchair, with her leg in a cast after she was injured at Nandigram in East Midnapore on March 10.
“Doctors advised me to take rest. But if I don’t come out, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will loot all the votes. I am in pain. But I feel that the pain and suffering of the people are much more,” Banerjee said in a rally in West Midnapore on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the BJP organised a wheelchair rally in Kolkata to seek justice for over 130 party workers they claimed were allegedly murdered by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The ruling party has rubbished the allegations several times in the past.
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“The chief minister says that she feels the pain of the people. Why then doesn’t she feel the pain of the families who have lost their sons? The wheelchair rally is just symbolic,” said a local BJP leader, requesting anonyity.
While Banerjee had once commuted to her office on an electric scooter to protest against the hike in fuel prices before the elections were announced on February 26, TMC candidate from Kasba in South 24 Parganas, Javed Khan, hired a bullock cart last week for his campaign to protest against the hike in fuel prices.
The BJP’s president in West Bengal Dilip Ghosh launched an “Election Special Car” on Thursday. The vehicle, which will be used for campaign trails, is similar to a hi-fi caravan with toilets, a retiring chamber and is fitted with LED screens for video conferring.
While these modes of travel are primarily meant to reach those areas where there is road connectivity, in the Sunderbans, candidates are campaigning on boats.
“Gosaba constituency, which goes to the polls on April 1, comprises 11 islands. Here boats are used to travel down the rivers and hence we campaign on either country boats or mechanised boats on our way to the islands. On the islands, we can use rickshaws, motorcycles and autorickshaws, as the unpaved village roads don’t support larger vehicles,” said Jayanta Naskar, a TMC candidate from Gosaba.
The BJP has already launched multiple rath yatras across the state. Even though most are not a “rath” (chariot) in the true sense of the term, these vehicles are used by leaders for road shows and have modern equipment like LEDs and carry suggestion boxes in which citizens can drops suggestions. The TMC too had launched such vehicles, called Didir Doot (messenger of Didi).
However, traditional modes of campaigning, including motorcycle rallies and cycle rallies, are also continuing in full swing. The Election Commission of India has put a cap on the number of vehicles that can be used in such rallies.
Both the BJP and the TMC are using helicopters liberally for swift movement of their heavyweight candidates and star campaigners. At Nandigram, both the parties have built their own helipads.
Nandigram will witness a high-voltage poll battle this time because Banerjee is going to contest against BJP heavyweight candidate Suvendu Adhikari from here.