Queen mother vs queen of controversy in Krishnanagar: Moitra fights influential 'rajmata'

Among the 111 names in BJP’s fifth list released on March 25, BJP named Amrita Roy, the Rajmata of the ‘Rajbari‘ (Bengali term for royal palace) of Krishnanagar, as its candidate from the constituency. Roy, who belongs to the Nadia royal family, in fact, joined the party only last week.

BJP's master stroke

Reports said that it was the local district leadership who had come up with her name. And, they also managed to convince the Rajmata to contest the election.

Many believe it is a master stroke by the BJP to field Roy as it will help the saffron party to put up a strong fight against Moitra.

Moitra's impressive performance in 2019

Moitra, who made a dramatic exit from the Lok Sabha after being expelled for ‘unethical conduct’ end of last year, had been elected from the Krishnanagar seat in the 2019 LS elections. She defeated her BJP rival by a margin of 63,218 votes in that election.

The articulate politician had secured 6,14,872 votes, while 5,51,654 votes were cast in favour of the BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey. It was an impressive performance by Moitra, who was given the Krishnanagar ticket after sitting MP Tapas Paul was dropped for having gone to jail in a chit fund scam.

Battle royale

But, poll experts believe that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is not going to be a cakewalk for Moitra, who had to undergo a very public and ignominious exit from Parliament late last year.

Meanwhile, BJP also has an uphill battle here since TMC has held the seat since 2009, from the time actor Tapas Paul defeated the CPIM in its own stranglehold.

So, what is the battle royale in Krishnanagar constituency and who is Amrita Roy, a political novice?

Who is Amrita Roy?

To begin with, BJP candidate Amrita Roy will make her debut in politics in this LS elections. She belongs to the Nadia royal family of Krishnanagar and is the ‘Rajmata of the Rajbari’ (Queen Mother of the royal palace) of the constituency.

The Nadia royal family is a revered one in Bengal even today, due to the legacy of Maharaja Krishna Chandra Roy’s 55-year regime before the British rule. An eminent personality in Indian history, especially in Bengal, Krishna Chandra was known for his wise and visionary rule during the 18th century. He is known for implementing many administrative reforms, promoting arts, and Bengali culture.

Roy is a familiar yet influential face for the locals and the BJP is hoping to cash in on this.

After the announcement of her candidature, Roy told Anandabazar Online that all are aware of the contributions of King Krishnachandra to the history of Nadia and hoped that the role of the Krishnanagar royal family in the inclusion of India is still remembered by all.

She has entered the political arena not as a "royal daughter-in-law" but to be the voice of the ordinary people, she told the media.

TMC's Mahua Moitra

As a parliamentarian, Mahua Moitra shot into the limelight in her debut LS speech, in which, she detailed the “early signs” of fascism in India. Social media dubbed it as the speech of the year and she soon emerged as the face of one of the saffron party’s staunchest critics.

The 49-year-old politician participated in 36 debates in over four years with a 85 per cent attendance record in LS. Opposition members in Parliament waited for her speeches and her sarcastic jabs against the ruling establishment on social media.

This former investment banker’s brusque style of functioning, however, did not go down well with the local TMC leadership. In the party, her detractors resent her ‘ekla chalo’ attitude. She has had run-ins with the local leadership and with the local media. And took on BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Ramesh Bidhuri in Parliament.

Her fight with Dubey proved costly as he accused her of taking gifts and cash from an industrialist for asking questions against the Adani Group in Parliament.

After a series of public denouncements and a inquiry, Moitra was expelled from Lok Sabha four months back in what came to be known as 'cash-for-query' case. However, her party rallied firmly by her side, with Mamata Banerjee calling her sacking a “murder of democracy”.

The Opposition also stood by her, while Moitra herself said she was being "bullied" by the BJP and swore to return to the LS with an even bigger mandate.

High stakes

The stakes are high for both contestants (as Congress and Left are expected to leave the battlefield open for these celebrity contestants) in Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency. While Moitra has to return to LS to cock-a-snook at the BJP, the Rajmata has to get this seat for the BJP and to ensure her solid legacy remains untarnished with an electoral loss.

Interestingly, Krishnanagar constituency, which is one of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, since its inception in 1967, has seen parties of various ideologies dominate in different times. A former stronghold of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), for nine consecutive terms, the TMC managed to take over the constituency after actor turned politician Tapas Paul won over the electorate with his charisma.

He defeated his main rival, the CPM candidate, twice in 2009 and 2014. When Moitra was fielded in 2019, her victory was possible largely because the Chopra, Palashipara and Kaliganj assemblies backed her completely.

The majority of voters in Krishnanagar are rural (87 per cent), with a significant representation from Hindu (55 per cent) and Muslim (35 per cent) communities. The Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) voters can also affect electoral outcomes, said reports.

What's in BJP's favour in Krishnanagar?

Besides playing the royal card, in the last five years, the BJP local workers have strengthened their base in Kaliganj Assembly. said reports. This has happened even as Trinamool Congress's organisational strengths have weakened. Moreover, TMC will have to face challenges like corruption charges and infighting.

Now, it remains to be seen if BJP can sway the voters with the help of an influential and familiar face and make inroads in this constituency. How will the fiesty Moitra combat this challenge?