Bengali ‘asmita’ takes centre stage in seat with most statues

Kolkata: In Beleghata assembly constituency, dotted with at least 100 statues of Bengal's icons and religious figures — from Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Vidyasagar to Swami Vivekananda — the attack on "Bengali asmita" has emerged as a key poll plank alongside everyday civic concerns, including reopening of Sukanta Mancha, named after poet Sukanta Bhattacharya.Trinamool has fielded party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh in one of the most layered and politically symbolic constituencies, while BJP's candidate is Partha Chaudhury. Once a CPI(M) stronghold, Beleghata has been a Trinamool bastion since 2011, with MLA Paresh Paul winning three consecutive times. In the 2024 LS polls, Beleghata gave Trinamool a lead of over 45,000 votes.The constituency — comprising upscale residences, traditional middle-class neighbourhoods and slums — creates a social mix of people across cultural and linguistic diversities. The SIR process has led to deletion of 67,731 voters from this constituency.Ghosh said his campaign centres on two issues: development work under chief minister Mamata Banerjee's govt and BJP's anti-Bengal policies and alleged attack on Bengali pride."BJP is trying to divide people between Hindu and Muslim, and sometimes between Bengali and non-Bengali. They are hitting Bengal with back-door politics and trying to occupy Bengal by deploying the army. From removing names of lakhs of genuine voters to insulting Bengali cultural icons, language and heritage, BJP has launched an attack on ‘Bengali asmita'. People of Bengal have not accepted this and they are annoyed over the harassment faced during SIR," he said. "Beleghata is my home constituency. I have a good relationship with everyone and the councillors are actively participating in the election," Ghosh added.Chaudhury's campaign focuses on unlimited drinking water supply, 24-hour transport service and a multi-speciality hospital. "For people who are struggling for jobs, education, safety, debates on ‘Bengali Asmita' do not matter," he said. CPI(M)'s Paramita Roy said her priorities include jobs for the youth, reviving schools in Muslim-dominated areas, development of slums, and reopening Sukanta Mancha, which has an emotional connect with Beleghata residents. "The place has turned into a den of miscreants with bullets being fired in broad daylight, Beleghata Main Road being blocked because of promoting, extortion and political infighting," she said.A local observer said, "It may look like a straight electoral fight, with Trinamool having an edge. But infighting and change in power equation will be a determining factor. A councillor, who was hopeful of bagging a ticket, is not "playing his role". There is a discontent among residents about ‘strongman' Raju Naskar, who is close to Trinamool."Congress candidate Shahina Javed said, "A Hindu-Muslim binary is being created to divert attention from issues of unemployment, health and hygiene, and women's safety." (Inputs from Saikat Ray)
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