The only thing clear about the West Bengal elections is that poets, satirists and cartoonists are firmly with the Left and Congress.
A mandatory stop during weekend strolls is the legendary 바카라Radu Babu바카라s Teashop바카라 on Janak Road near Lake Market in Calcutta. It바카라s also a great vantage point to see political comings and goings on. Last year, on one such Sunday evening, a street meeting was taking place in front of the tea stall commemorating Jyoti Basu바카라s 102nd birth anniversary. A former Calcutta Mayor from the Left Front days was holding forth tiredly to an audience of less than hundred people.
Cut to April 2016. The road is jam packed. Loudspeakers boom across the 바카라pada바카라 (neighbourhood) heralding the 바카라Jote바카라 (alliance) rally for the debutant Congress candidate. There is a new energy and passion in the speeches, though initially they sound a bit surreal as much of what Trinamool is being accused of today was said about the Left Front in 2011. Irony dies a thousand deaths 바카라 when one of the speakers vows to open up shut factories and bring the Tatas back to Singur.
Reminder of Saradha does not stir the crowd nor does repeated references to Narada (sting). But, the mood changes with the mention of the fly-over collapse with its toll of 28 lives. Sensing that he has touched a chord, the speaker expands on the theme. Citing the AMRI hospital fire a few years ago he asks: if Directors of the private hospital were locked up after the incident, why is the Chairman of KMDA (Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority) 바카라 Firad Hakim -- one of Mamata바카라s favourites not in jail? The crowd cheers.
Even a month ago few would have put their money on the 바카라alliance바카라 giving Trinamool a run for its money, let alone putting up a fight.
So, what has changed?
The Narada sting, while it hurt, may not have tilted the balance by itself, but the flyover tragedy was the proverbial tipping-point - a rude reminder of the Saradha scam and the syndicate raj. It has buoyed the spirits of the opposition - echoes of which were heard in CPIM cadres greeting Rahul Gandhi with 바카라Lal Salaam바카라 calls.
But the alliance may have put the Bhadralok in a bind as a conversation at The Calcutta Club Men바카라s Bar, where the BJP바카라s Tathagata Roy - now Governor of Tripura바카라 is a regular, reveals. Traditionally, the 바카라Bhadraloks바카라 were not fans of either Mamata or the Left. It used to be said that the Babus of North Calcutta rooted for only Mohun Bagan and Congress. Yet, they decisively opted for 바카라Poriborton바카라 voting TMC to boot out the Left. Their hopes had soared when the Modi wave had touched Calcutta during the Lok Sabha Polls only to quickly recede later. This time around they are left with Hobson바카라s choice as Congress is in the couch with the Left and the BJP a non-starter even in the municipal polls.
Fish is the conversation starter. One of the veterans perched on the bar stool quotes his friendly 바카라maach-wallah바카라 who told him: 바카라Be it the Trinamool or the 바카라Jot바카라, I바카라ll have to continue selling fish. Only the 바카라mastans바카라 (goons) of one party will get replaced by the 바카라Dadas바카라 of the other.바카라 His fellow tippler chips in: 바카라But there will be a slight difference 바카라 the 바카라dapot바카라 (upper-hand) of one community will ease a bit바카라, unmindful of the fact that the barman belongs to the community he is referring to.
Trinamool was known to be on a relatively weak wicket in Central and North Bengal. But, after the first two rounds of polling, chinks in its strongholds of South Bengal and Jangal Mahal are visible too.
This is reflected in the ambivalent speeches of Mamata Banerjee 바카라 at times penitent, sometimes a tacit admission of issues and then suddenly on the offensive again. The sudden spurt in violence during the third round is seen as much as the Trinamool feeling jittery as the opposition getting its bearings back.
In the midst of all this, BJP stands out as being utterly confused. Even die-hard supporters of the party can바카라t make out which way the party is tilting. The BJP did come up with a brilliant series of TV Commercials which at one go took on both the Left and TMC. But, they are a waste, as the party doesn바카라t seem to have either the seriousness or the ground organisation to win even a handful of seats.. People aren바카라t also clear why Narendra Modi flew in, incurring huge expenses, to address so many rallies. The most plausible hypothesis being his campaign would push the residual Muslim vote towards Trinamool. More likely he and Amit Shah are simply trying to keep the slow-fires burning till 2019.
The only thing clear about these elections is that poets, satirists and cartoonists are firmly with the Left and Congress. Having suffered five years of suppression they are having a field day. The intellectual elite have company in a media group that is going hammer and tongs against the Trinamool despite supporting it in 2011. Its editor is quoted in the memoirs of a veteran journalist as saying 바카라I am the second most important Bengali after Jyoti Basu바카라. The rumour is he now wants to prove that he is the most powerful Bengali alive today who can make or break a leader. But will he?
(The writer is a roving marketing professional who views life from a right angle. The opinions expressed are personal and does not represent or reflect those of his employers.)