You could say Chakraborty has put his full support behind the new CM, with words to the effect of “the best chief minister West Bengal can have.” The timing is no accident; it comes as the new government is making its way to some high-stakes territory in Diamond Harbour and with a re-poll in Falta on the horizon for May 21st.
Here is what the endorsement signals to key players:
– Consolidation of BJP ranks after a leadership transition
– A morale boost for cadres ahead of May 21st
– A challenge to Trinamool in its backyard
Election Commission action and the stakes
It is a delicate moment for the BJP. The Election Commission had to scrap the April 29th vote in Falta over claims of EVM tampering and the like, so a new round of voting is in order to see where things stand. Some in the party see what Adhikari is up to as a way to show where he is coming from in a part of the state the Trinamool has long called home.
Diamond Harbour tour and the Falta test
Adhikari made a point of starting his first district tour in South 24 Parganas, in Diamond Harbour. That is a loaded area; after all, the parliamentary seat is in the hands of TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee. So any move the BJP makes here is bound to be noticed. And right there is the Falta assembly seat, where the rescheduled poll will put their organisation to the test.
Two immediate takeaways are clear:
– The BJP aims to fortify its organisational base in South 24 Parganas
– The Falta re-poll will be read as an early report card on governance and control
Inside the New Town meeting
The whole thing was set in motion after Adhikari and Chakraborty got together for a while at the actor’s place in New Town before the CM left for the district. Chakraborty, who is a big name in the BJP, didn’t mince words with the press. “I can tell you for sure there is no one better than him,” he said. “He has been at it since day one.”
A new CM and a sharpened message
For the BJP, this is about more than just optics. They have Chakraborty to thank for a lot of the hard work in the field over the past few years, even with his health being what it is. Adhikari, for his part, said he was there to get some advice from his senior and talk shop, though he was tight-lipped on the specifics.
What comes next
Now the focus is on May 21st in Falta. A strong showing there and in Diamond Harbour would be a good sign for the new administration’s plans. For the TMC, it is a matter of not ceding ground. In the end, it will be up to the voters and how the government steers itself in a hotbed like this to make the final call.
