New Delhi:

The political calculus for the coming assembly election in West Bengal has become not just interesting but has also acquired a new curve. A fresh dimension has come up in both camps - with the ruling Trinamool Congress gravitating towards religion while the BJP is talking of development and trying to establish itself as a party capable of bringing the winds of change to Bengal.

Back in 2019, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would react strongly when she heard the "Jai Shree Ram" slogan - so much so that BJP workers often used it to get her to react. Wherever Mamata Banerjee went, BJP members would yell "Jai Shree Ram" in an attempt to provoke her. On one occasion, Banerjee had even got out of her car and chased away slogan-shouting BJP workers. 

At the time, the ruling Trinamool Congress declared that while "Jai Shree Ram" carried a religious connotation, the BJP was using it politically. The party said it was strongly against politicisation of religion. There were even instances of BJP workers getting arrested over this issue.

But this time, the situation has undergone a sea change. Trinamool has tweaked its strategy, incorporating a liberal dose of religion.