“There is also a strategic importance of the word ‘Meye’”, says political researcher Biswanath Chakraborty. “The TMC has always had the women vote, and they want to keep that part of the electorate strongly with them”.
“By branding her as a daughter instead, we wanted to send out the message that Mamata is one with the people and they need to support her”, said a TMC insider, familiar with the ideation of the campaign.
Nearly 3.4 crore of Bengal’s electorate are women. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, more than 87 percent of these women cast their vote. Since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the Nandigram and Singur movements, the women voters have largely stayed with Mamata.
In the 2019 polls, Trinamool fielded 17 women candidates, 41 percent of its total candidates, as opposed to the BJP’s 5.
However, the BJP also has its eyes on the same votebank. Shah in his last visit to Bengal promised 33 percent reservation in government jobs for women if BJP came to power in…