West Bengal elections 2021: BJP shifting battle from class to caste

The BJP is seeking to shift the focus to caste from class, which has dominated West Bengal politics for three decades of Left Front and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) rule, in the run-up to the assembly election, as it bets on Mahishya, Matua and Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the state to unseat the AITC.

Senior BJP leaders told ET that the party is working to win the support of the Mahishyas, an agrarian community that accounts for 10% votes in the state. In total Mahishyas have influence over 100 assembly seats,” said a leader, who did not wish to be identified. BJP leaders have been regularly mentioning the community in their speeches.

The party’s manifesto promised to grant OBC status to Mahishya and other Hindu communities if the BJP comes to power. After BJP’s announcement, AITC leader Mamata Banerjee also included OBC reservation for Mahishya in her party’s manifesto. The BJP has also promised citizenship to the refugee Matua community in the state.

Matuas have a considerable clout in 28-30 assembly seats in the state. In February, while addressing a rally in West Bengal, Union home minister Amit Shah had said that the government would start granting citizenship to refugees under the Citizenship Amendment Act after the Covid-19 vaccination ends. Besides, the BJP has set its eyes on the 30 per cent SC/ST communities and has offered several schemes for them in its manifesto.