Sources said that there was instruction to all councillors to ensure that there was Ganesh puja organised on a big scale at their respective areas, especially where there was a majority of Hindu population.
In the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP in West Bengal are not leaving any stones unturned to woo people. The BJP in order to consolidate Hindu votes and the TMC to shake off the 'Muslim appeaser' tag are celebrating Ganesh Puja across the state, something which was not celebrated with such pomp and show before. TMC seniors and minister are most of the organisers of Ganesh pujas in Bengal.
At places like Bhawanipore, known to be the hometurf of former minister and TMC senior leader Madan Mitra, a Ganesh puja has been organised at a big scale for the first time and Mitra is the president of the organising committee.
While at the backdrop is the advent of Durga puja where goddess Durga is seen carrying Lord Ganesha on her lap, the main idol of Ganesh has been brought from Mumbai where Ganesh puja had been organised on a large scale.
"A team from Kolkata had gone to Mumbai to bring the Ganesh idol. The lighting has been done by people of Lalbagh, famous for their lighting decoration," said one of the organisers.
Consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pande also organised Ganesh Puja at a big scale. "I have been organising Ganesh Puja at my Kakurgachi residence for quite some years. There is no politics in it. He is the god of prosperity and after the TMC government came to power in 2011, we have been celebrating it in a big scale and look how the state had prospered," Pande said.
TMC MLA Sujit Bose was also seen partaking in Ganesh puja while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to Maharashtra Bhavan to pay her obeisance to Lord Ganesha.
Sources said that there was instruction to all councillors to ensure that there was Ganesh puja organised on a big scale at their respective areas, especially where there was a majority of Hindu population.
State BJP leaders, however, said that the tactic of TMC will boomerang. "Not only Ganesh puja, we have seen the TMC also celebrating Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti. In the last two years, Mamata Banerjee has delayed idol immersion because of Muharrum and have hurt the sentiments of Hindus. Now she is trying to do some damage control by paying the puja organisers Rs 10,000 each, but it will not be of any use. People will see through their tricks," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said while talking to DNA.
BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said the moves would leave TMC nowhere. "They will be the 'dhobi ka kutta… na ghar ka na ghat ka'. By faking as a Muslim lover and pretending to take Allah's name, Mamata had hurt Muslim and Hindu sentiments alike. People have realised that she uses the name of Allah and also the names of Hindu gods whenever required," Sinha told DNA.
Wooing Voters
- Both the ruling TMC and the BJP in West Bengal went all out to woo Hindu voters.
- The BJP, however, termed TMC’s move as mere show tactic.
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