During Election Campaign: Bengal's Situation Before Final Voting

On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, Mamata Banerjee emerged in Chakra Beria, the heart of her Bhawanipur constituency, wearing her signature rubber slippers and a simple white sari with a light border. She had walked out of her election meeting the previous night, protesting against the use of loudspeakers by BJP workers.

As she walked amidst the crowd's slogans, an elderly Sikh man stepped forward to shake her hand, and Banerjee once again emerged as the 'street-fighter politician' taking on the BJP's powerful campaign in West Bengal. During the padyatra, which was taken out from Lenin Sarani to Kalighat fire station, she was heard telling the police, "Let them come, I know them all." Banerjee has her residence in Kalighat, and several of her public rallies are also scheduled in south Kolkata.

A day before the first phase of elections, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had said that the TMC chief looked nervous on stage, but now it seems that if there was any nervousness, it has dissipated. The lines of worry have also disappeared from her face.

On Thursday, in an aggressive speech, Banerjee had said that "after winning Bengal, I will also have an impact on Delhi and will try to unite all political parties to oust the BJP." Meanwhile, about 76 kilometers away in Bongaon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Banerjee government of corruption and the state's economic downturn. He said that the area once had jute mills and factories, but most have now closed, only 'cut money' shops remain, and the TMC is not capable of governing Bengal.

Before heading to Bongaon, Modi also visited Thakurnagar, the hub of the Matua community, which has a population of around 30 lakh people. The community, which follows the teachings of 19th-century reformer Harichand Thakur, is upset over the deletion of names from the voter list.

Local social worker Dilip Matua said that hundreds of names have been deleted in every village, and young girls are asking if they will ever be able to vote.

In Bhawanipur, where Banerjee's party has been strong since 2011, she still looks formidable, although her former colleague and current BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is running a vigorous campaign. The constituency is a melting pot of different communities, often referred to as 'Mini India'.

Here, along with Bengalis, there are Gujaratis, Sikhs, Tamils, and Hindi-speaking people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The Muslim population is around a quarter, but they have also been affected by the voter list cuts.

According to experts, Banerjee's lead of over 58,000 votes in the previous election keeps her in a strong position. Political analyst Sabysachi Basu Roy Chowdhury said that Banerjee has adopted a successful strategy by campaigning in other areas and leaving Bhawanipur for the final phase.

The election campaign has entered its final stage, where regional leadership is relying on its roots, while the national party is claiming a big change.

The fervor on Bengal's streets suggests that this contest is not just about governance or development, but also about identity, citizenship, and representation. The real question now is who will be able to convert their campaign into votes, when Bengal's voters head to the polling booths once again on Wednesday.