Battle royale in Krishnanagar: In Mahua Moitra vs 'Rani Ma', CPM could make all the difference

While the Mahua-Amrita contest gathers all the attention, Sadi, born into the Muslim community, could alter Mahua’s fortunes

It's a battle between two women, but a man could decide who wins. In Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra is locked in a prestigious contest with the BJP’s Amrita Roy, a member of the the royal family of Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy, who is known as Rani Ma or Queen Mother of Rajbari. But the CPI(M)’s S.M. Sadi could make all the difference in this fight if he cuts into the Trinamool support base of the Muslim community.

For the BJP, defeating Mahua is extremely important. She was a strident opponent of the Modi government in Parliament until she was expelled from the Lok Sabha on charges of accepting gifts from an industrialist, Darshan Hiranandani, in return for asking questions on his behalf. The BJP certainly doesn't want to see her again in the Lok Sabha, and, perhaps for the same reason, the Trinamool is intent on making her win again despite the party leadership showing, at one point of time, some dissatisfaction with her individualistic style of functioning.

Amrita, a fashion designer by profession who officially joined the BJP on March 20 this year, is well known in the constituency because of her family connections; Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it a point to personally campaign for her. But Mahua, a former investment banker, is well appreciated for her work in Parliament and she was the face of the Trinamool in the Lok Sabha. Clips of her speeches in Parliament have often gone viral on social media. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee backed Mahua fully when the corruption charges hit her. Indeed, the Trinamool ticket from Krishnanagar was assured for her as soon as she was expelled from Parliament.

While the Mahua-Amrita contest gathers all the attention, Sadi, born into the Muslim community, could alter Mahua’s fortunes. The CPI(M) candidate enjoys considerable goodwill both within his community and outside. Although he might finish third, he could garner enough votes to derail the Mahua journey to Sansad Bhavan. Unlike in the last election, the CPI(M) has the backing of the Congress too this time.

Quite different from Amrita, the reluctant politician, Mahua seems born ready for the rough and tumble world of political life. While Amrita is entirely dependent on the BJP election machinery, Mahua has built up a support network for herself for electioneering. But in many ways, this is a Modi-Didi proxy fight with a Sadi thrown into the mix. The real challenge for Mahua remains Sadi; both are fighting for the same share of ballots.