Mamata Banerjee’s balancing act between Muslim welfare and Hindu outreach may have come late

New Delhi, Dec 30 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s political strategy, long been accused of being weighed towards minority appeasement with welfare schemes and protections that critics say disproportionately benefit Muslims, now appears to be veering towards building temples.

When asked to comment on Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah, currently on a trip to the state, welcomed her efforts, quipping “but it’s too late” perhaps in reference to the upcoming Assembly election.

The ruling Trinamool Congress party has often been targeted, especially by the state’s principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for consistently rolling out initiatives alleged to be designed to secure Muslim votes, who make up over some 30 per cent of Bengal’s electorate. On the other hand, she has dramatically increased grants to Durga Puja committees and launched high-profile temple projects like the Rs 250-crore Jagannath Mandir at Digha in Purba Medinipur district which has received over one crore visitors within eight months of inauguration. She raised government grants this year to Rs 1.10 lakh from Rs 85,000 the previous year for each of 40,000 Durga Puja committees. She also waived taxes and service charges for Puja organisers.

On Monday, she laid the foundation stone for a Rs 262-crore Durga Angan in Kolkata, which according to her, is a tribute to UNESCO’s recognition of Durga Puja as a cultural heritage. The complex will be spread over 17 acres, with temples, museums, and cultural zones.

Earlier, she had announced construction of a large Mahakaal temple in Siliguri, for which a trust will be formed.

On Tuesday, she added that land for the temple has already been identified. The announcement is being construed as a political push through religion in north Bengal where her party has been largely facing defeat in polls.

The overall spurt in temple construction ahead of state polls, coming after several schemes for minorities, is being seen in sections as a dual approach in an attempt to consolidate minority votes while countering the BJP’s Hindutva narrative.

Meanwhile, the Gangasagar Bridge Project, though infrastructural, has strong religious undertones, linking pilgrims to the sacred site. But at the Durga Angan foundation stone event, she insisted that she was a “true secularist,” and dismissed all allegations of appeasement politics. Through her tenure, the state expanded stipends for minority students, including pre-matric and post-matric scholarships.

The Sramasree scheme this year offered migrant workers – many of them Bengali Muslims returning from BJP-ruled states – Rs 5,000 monthly allowances for a year. Even certain programmes pitched as inclusive have often been alleged to be highlighted in Muslim-majority areas.

In addition, Mamata has frequently attended Eid prayers and Muslim community events, reinforcing her image as a protector of minority rights. However, she also participates in Durga Puja festivities and has been observing Kali Puja at her residence through decades.

Still, the BJP has accused her of turning Bengal into a “haven for infiltrators” and running a “toll syndicate” of welfare schemes, as reiterated by the Home Minister on Tuesday. But Mamata continues unabated, with an occasional clarification, in an apparent attempt to counter the BJP’s Hindutva narrative by appropriating Hindu symbols while maintaining her secular credentials.

A sudden move by a former Trinamool MLA to build a Babri Masjid replica in Murshidabad has put her at unease with minority votes appearing to consolidate behind Humayun Kabir, the builder of the multi-crore replica. Thus, her balancing act risks alienating both communities – Muslims may feel taken for granted, while Hindus may see her outreach as insincere.

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