The states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have so far rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party. Less than a day before elections, the question hangs in the air: will they do so again?
Voters in the north of the eastern state of West Bengal will vote on April 23 in the first phase of the two-phase voting there. The remaining constituencies will vote on April 29.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23.
Political parties and leaders are currently in a mandatory period of silence, during which they are not allowed to air party advertisements, hold press conferences or rallies, or attempt to sway voters in any way. It is meant to ensure a calm environment ahead of voting.
Hours before the silent period kicked in on Tuesday evening, campaigning in West Bengal saw senior political leaders resort to name-calling and religious divisiveness.
India’s home minister, Amit Shah, campaigning for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, accused West Bengal’s current chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, of building a Babri mosque in West Bengal.
The Babri mosque, originally in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished by Hindu-nationalists in 1992, leading to communal violence and tensions in several parts of India. After a protracted legal battle, the land was awarded to Hindus and the Modi government built a grand temple for Hindu diety Lord Ram on it. It remains asensitive topic.
Speaking in West Bengal, Shah vowed that the BJP would never let a Babri mosque be constructed in India. Banerjee, on the other hand, called Shah a “goon” and said no one wanted the BJP to come to power in the state.
In Tamil Nadu, ruling party leaders and their allies invoked Dravidian roots to garner votes and keep the BJP out. “Dravidian” is a cultural term that brings most south Indian states under one umbrella based on similar linguistic cultures.