The historic victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the West Bengal Assembly elections has ushered in a new chapter in Indian politics. The BJP fulfilled its long-held dream by capturing Bengal, a stronghold of the Communists and then the Trinamool Congress for decades. But now all eyes are on who will be the next chief minister.
The title belongs to the local leader…
Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a key announcement during the election campaign. He promised to make a local Bengali leader who respects Bengali culture and traditions as the chief minister if he comes to power. Moreover, Sukanta Majumdar commented that the future Chief Minister would be a non-vegetarian to counter Mamata Banerjee’s campaign that she would ban meat if the BJP government came.
Women leaders in CM race
BJP has taken women’s safety as a priority in this election. In this context, the party hopes to further strengthen its women-biased image by appointing a woman leader as Chief Minister. Along with women, men are also competing in the CM race.
Agnimitra Paul: A fashion designer turned political leader, Agnimitra won the MLA from Asansol South. Her experience as president of the BJP Mahila Morcha and her sharp criticism of Mamata Banerjee put her ahead in the race.
Roopa Ganguly: Roopa Ganguly, who became a household name with her role as Draupadi in the ‘Mahabharat’ serial, is well received by the urban voters. As a former Rajya Sabha member and president of Mahila Morcha, she emerged as a strong candidate after winning from Sonarpur South Constituency.
Suvendu Adhikari: Suvendu is credited with being closest to Mamata Banerjee and later defeating her in Nandigram. Strong grip in the field and strong organizational network are his main strengths. However, allegations like the Narada sting operation against him in the past may turn out to be a slight disadvantage.
Dilip Ghosh: Dilip Ghosh is one of the leaders who made BJP take root in Bengal. Having an RSS background, he infuses the party cadre with his aggressive nature. However, sometimes his controversial comments can land the party in trouble.
Samik Bhattacharya, the current state BJP president, has a reputation as an inclusive leader. He was instrumental in working for the expansion of the party behind the scenes. His name is also heard. The people of Bengal have crowned the BJP with their faith in the “brand” Narendra Modi. Now the search is on for an effective leader to carry forward the ambitions of Prime Minister Modi. Like Rekha Gupta in Delhi, will a woman be crowned in Bengal too? Or choose a solid political leader like Suvendu Adhikari? It remains to be seen. Whoever is the CM will be one of those who clarified history in Bengal.
