BENGAL BJP leaders say too much playing of NRC & Hindu card main cause for defeat in 3 assembly by-elections

A day after reverses suffered by BJP in the Assembly by-elections for three seats rumbles of revolt was heard in Bengal unit of the saffron party with some leaders questioning the over use of a sensitive subject like the possible implementation of National Register of Citizens as also too much playing of the Hindu card in a State with Leftist mooring.Saugar Sengupta  writes in the  Pioneer  edited by Dr Chandan Mitra  that  BJP leader Chandra Bose belonging to iconic  Netaji  Subhas Chandra Bose family  on Friday questioned the political prudence behind pressing the NRC issue too hard in a State like Bengal where a majority of the people lived in the villages and are poor.“It seems that the NRC issue was overplayed when there were other issues in the State to take up,” Bose whose father was a Forward Bloc MP said adding “Bengal has a specific cultural and political history which has to be kept in mind. The way things like religion work in areas like UP and MP will not work in Bengal as here the people are influenced by the lives of Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattapadhyaya and Subhas Chandra Bose.“Besides the people of the State are somewhat Left minded on whom religious issues leave only a temporary impact. Hence our party will have to understand that we will have to take a line in Bengal which is commensurate to the secular history and the specific culture of this State. You will have to remember that Bengal is different. It has a specific history and culture which has to be understood, appreciated and reflected in the politics of a party.”Bose said he had communicated his feelings and concerns to the top most leadership. “I have given my impression to party president Amit Shah and it is likely to be taken up for consideration.” The BJP lost all the three seats in the by-elections by huge margin. While in Kharagpur it lost to the TMC by more than 45,000 votes in Karimpur the difference was more than 50,000. IN Kaliaganj it was 2,400. In fact the BJP had taken huge lead in all these segments in the April-May parliamentary elections. Giving his reactions Union Minister Babul Supriyo said that the Trinamool Congress managed to play up the NRC issue and exploit it by spreading a disinformation campaign in the State.“We failed to convince the people and tell them the truth about that no one will be victimized but Mamata Banerjee did what she wanted to do by misleading the people on the NRC. The general panic thus created had an impact in the elections,” Supriyo said adding things will definitely be discussed and taken care of.Taking a dig at the BJP leadership senior Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said “the BJP has finally appreciated the truth that communal politics will not pay any dividend in Bengal which is influenced by the preaching of Ramakrishna Paramahansa Dev who spoke of religious toleration and unity of religions. Besides the people of the State are somewhat Left minded on whom religious issues leave only a temporary impact. Hence our party will have to understand that we will have to take a line in Bengal which is commensurate to the secular history and the specific culture of this State. You will have to remember that Bengal is different. It has a specific history and culture which has to be understood, appreciated and reflected in the politics of a party.”Bose said he had communicated his feelings and concerns to the top most leadership. “I have given my impression to party president Amit Shah and it is likely to be taken up for consideration.” he BJP lost all the three seats in the by-elections by huge margin. While in Kharagpur it lost to the TMC by more than 45,000 votes in Karimpur the difference was more than 50,000. IN Kaliaganj it was 2,400. In fact the BJP had taken huge lead in all these segments in the April-May parliamentary elections.Giving his reactions Union Minister Babul Supriyo said that the Trinamool Congress managed to play up the NRC issue and exploit it by spreading a disinformation campaign in the State.“We failed to convince the people and tell them the truth about that no one will be victimized but Mamata Banerjee did what she wanted to do by misleading the people on the NRC. The general panic thus created had an impact in the elections,” Supriyo said adding things will definitely be discussed and taken care of.Taking a dig at the BJP leadership senior Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said “the BJP has finally appreciated the truth that communal politics will not pay any dividend in Bengal which is influenced by the preaching of Ramakrishna Paramahansa Dev who spoke of religious toleration and unity of religions.