Debasis Basu

“I miss the era before 2014, when movies had no propaganda.” Meanwhile: villain holding a pitchfork symbolising a trishul, and the hero holding a hammer and sickle, literally forming the CPI (Maoist) symbol, a left-wing terrorist organisation now banned in India. Coolie (1983).

The 2021 West Bengal Assembly election was a story shaped strongly by demographics. In constituencies where Muslims make up less than 30% of the electorate (193 seats), the contest was relatively competitive. TMC won 119 seats, while the BJP secured 74. But the picture changes dramatically as the Muslim population rises. In constituencies with more than 30% Muslim electorate (101 seats), TMC’s dominance becomes absolute, winning 97 seats. The BJP, on the other hand, dropped sharply to just 3 seats, with ISF winning 1. Push this further to constituencies where Muslims form over 50% of the population (47 seats), a stunning picture emerges. TMC wins 46 out of 47 seats. BJP wins Zero. ISF was able to secure a single seat in Bhangar, a Muslim-majority constituency, where Pirzada Mohammad Naushad Siddiqui, from the Furfura Sharif Dargah, won as the lone ISF MLA. What stands out is how decisively voting patterns align with demographic composition. In areas with higher Muslim concentration, there was near total consolidation behind TMC - the backbone of its landslide victory. In the end, the 2021 verdict showed how deeply demographics and electoral outcomes were intertwined. TMC’s sweep was powered by consolidation in key belts, while the BJP’s rise remained concentrated in areas where the Hindu population was in larger numbers.

Shame on every single WB Hindu who would still vote for TMC.