The upcoming assembly election in West Bengal (WB) 2021 is going to be decisive. The cruciality lies in the fact that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming a government in WB with full majority will not only bring in a new phase in the political history of WB but will quicken the political advancement in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu (TN) and Kerala. The latest political situation is indicative of a saffron surge in WB.
WB is going to have a colourful political history. The erstwhile red bastion turned green and now green on the verge of changing to saffron. The saffron surge indicates that the Left parties are ruining into political insignificance. This saffron surge is going to have major impact on the mind of Left supporters in TN and KL. However, if we think in this traditional line, then we are following a cloyed political strategy where a BJP ruled-state have no role in mobilizing the political activism in another state. We need to evolve an innovative strategy of political activism whereby a BJP ruled-state plays a decisive role in determining the political activism in another state. WB is a political base which can initiate political activism upholding BJP’s ideology in other states.
During my long stay in TN I have noted the geographical terrain, rich culture, linguistic pride, religious sentiment, political thought, economic condition, cartographic imagination, and food habits in TN in particular and in parts of Kerala. It is true that more than Kerala, TN is all set to embrace BJP, and certainly, the dominant presence of BJP in TN will influence Kerala. There a caveat: we should note that the manner in which BJP is progressing in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it will take minimum ten years to make a dominant presence in these states. The political trend of BJP is to run after celebrity faces and other heavyweight figures to get mass support. In the era of social media the strategy of celebrity hunting is not important. A footpath vendor can become a sensation overnight, while a celebrity can be trolled heavily.
BJP leadership has to understand the monstrous roadblocks in TN and Kerala. There are certain stereotypes about BJP in popular Tamil imagination. The Dravidian political parties play active role in the construction and dissemination of these stereotypes. WB can play a potential role in breaking down the stereotypes. Besides dismantling the stereotypes, a political model that connects culture and language with economic development will give easy foot for BJP. In other words, BJP needs a development model that is sensitive to culture and language of TN. The most challenging factor is that the roadblocks cannot be addressed form within the state. Again, if the roadblocks are addressed form within the state, then it will take minimum ten years for BJP to make a dominant presence in TN. However, if those issues are addressed by some other state, then it will take just one year for BJP to make further progress. In this regard, WB can play a significant role in mobilizing the political advancement for BJP in TN.
In Kerala religious composition is a potential roadblock for BJP. However, such religious impediments can easily be overcome leaving aside a few brain-dead fundamentalists who cannot think beyond their religious consanguinity. Unlike TN, culture and language are not determining factors in Kerala politics. Any political activism in Kerala should first take note of the mesmeric natural landscape and the idyllic depictions of nature in Malayalam literature. An insightful political activism founded upon nature and literature will strengthen the political ground in Kerala.
Malayalis will appreciate a developmental model that is founded upon the natural resources such as coconut, inland water bodies and elephant. Initiating a start-up at Nemom constituency represented by BJP MLA Olanchery Rajagopal can powerfully establish the developmental model founded upon nature and this business showcasing the appropriate use of natural resources is going to be an initiation of innovative political activism. Within just one year BJP can make a dominant presence in TN and Kerala. I can assure that in Lok Sabha election 2024 BJP will win ±15 seats in TN and ±3 seats in Kerala. It is time for BJP to eye on TN and Kerala.
