As Bengal celebrates ‘Baisakh’, the first month of the Bengali calendar, a month of feasting and celebrating new beginnings, the electoral battle lines are hardening over that very sense of ‘Bangaliana’ (Bengali-ness) that its people, regardless of their mother tongue, hold dear, especially during this month.
Huge hoardings of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, hands folded under the slogan “Bangla nijer meyekei chay” (Bengal wants its own daughter), dot highways cutting through Bengal’s lush countryside. On social media, the Trinamul Congress (TMC) reinforced the message with “Abar jitbe Bangla” (Bengal will win again).
At rallies in rural Bengal, crowds respond with cries of “Joi Bangla” as Banerjee invokes “Bangali asmita” (identity), warning of “outsiders” threatening Bengal’s culture. The messaging is a calibrated response to the BJP’s pitch for a “double engine” government promising development, while also highlighting central agency probes into alleged corruption involving TMC leaders.
To critics, the TMC’s emphasis on identity is little more than political theatre. But for many voters, especially among the Bengali middle class, it taps into a deeper unease, that their language, culture and demographic dominance could erode amid migration and external political influence.
“There is a feeling that Bengal is being treated as a subaltern state in a colonial sense,” said Jawhar Sircar, former Union Culture Secretary and ex-Rajya Sabha MP, pointing to a broader perception of marginalisation.
This anxiety coexists with Bengal’s long-standing cosmopolitan ethos.
Kolkata and other historic river-port towns, from Cossimbazar to Chandannagar, have for centuries absorbed diverse communities speaking Hindi, Marwari, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, Urdu and even Chinese.
While nearly 86 per cent of the state’s population speaks Bengali, migrants have largely integrated into the cultural fabric, participating in festivals like ‘Poila Baisakh’ and Durga Puja with equal fervour.
Yet, the relatively subdued language politics that flickered in the 1960s before fading by the 1980s has resurfaced. New groups such as ‘Bangla Pokkho’ have gained traction, especially online, demanding primacy for the Bengali language in administration and public life.
Sircar argued that the BJP has struggled to connect culturally with Bengal. “There is a gap ~ from mispronouncing names of cultural icons to overlooking the state despite its electoral support,” he said, adding that Banerjee has sought to exploit this disconnect.
On the ground, the emotional resonance of the issue is evident. At a tea stall near Kolkata’s Kalighat temple, Samarendra Nath Mukherjee, an 85-year-old retired executive, summed up the sentiment: “This is not just a political contest. It is a battle for Bengali existence.”
His words drew nods from fellow patrons.
A similar concern is voiced in the Sundarbans. In Sajnekhali, fish wholesaler Ashish Haldar expressed fears of economic and cultural displacement. “They want to take control,” he said, pointing to the growing dominance of traders from outside Bengal in sectors once led by traditional local business families.
The BJP, however, rejects the TMC’s narrative outright. It has focussed its campaign on allegations of corruption against the ruling party, arguing that identity politics is being used as a smokescreen.
BJP candidate from Ballygunge, Dr Shatorupa, said the TMC was “clutching at straws” to deflect attention from scandals. She also challenged the portrayal of the BJP as an outsider force, pointing out that its ideological roots in Bengal can be traced back to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
“Outsiders cannot rule Bengal. If we win, the government will be formed by Bengalis,” she asserted, positioning the BJP as equally rooted in the state’s cultural milieu.
Meanwhile, central agencies have continued to intensify pressure on the TMC leadership. Recent Enforcement Directorate actions, including raids and arrests linked to alleged scams, have added another layer to an already charged campaign.
Yet, amid the political contestation, everyday life in Kolkata reflects a different rhythm. On ‘Poila Baisakh’, markets like New Market and Gariahat bustled with shoppers, while restaurants and clubs advertised traditional Bengali fare, from hilsa in mustard sauce to aromatic biryani, along with Rabindra Sangeet soirees, through the Baisakh month, underscoring that the essence of ‘Bangaliana’ endures, even as the political battle around it rages.