Left Front led by CPM organised a huge public rally on 3rd February in the Brigade Parade Ground, where Mamata Banerjee held her United India rally on January 19 joined by many key opposition leaders cutting across states. But the difference between the two rallies is that Left organised the rally without any support of the administration unlike Trinamool's rally at a time when Left is struggling hard to maintain the status of the main opposition party in the state due to a resurgence of BJP.

However, the rally was impressive with crowds numbering in lakhs with many comparing with that of Mamata's rally. The Left leaders including CPM state secretary Suryakanta Mishra to party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury targeted both the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal and Narendra Modi led central government. But one thing noticeable was when the speakers criticised Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress, the crowds cheered loud in comparison to the criticism directed against Modi and BJP. The crowds were mostly enthused during tribal leader and former CPM minister Debolina Hembram’s (whose hair was pulled by a TMC MLA inside the assembly in 2012) Santali and Bengali mixed speech which from starting to the end was mostly critical of Mamata Banerjee and her government's failure to provide education and jobs to the tribals of the state.

Turning the Brigade rally a successful was definitely a key challenge for the Left parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and the rally turned out be a big success pumping oxygen to the beleaguered Left Front. The rally was attended by supporters from various parts of the state and the attendance of large number of youth in the rally was definitely the silverlining point for the Left. It is to be mentioned that Left which presently having no appealing leaders like Mamata Banerjee or Narendra Modi managed to pull a huge crowd to the Brigade ground highlighting mainly on burning issues like unemployment, education, farming distress and demand for industrialisation in the state.

West Bengal is a crucial state which has 42 Lok Sabha seats and during the last polls, Trinamool Congress won a whopping 34 seats by garnering 39% while the Left which got 30% votes managed to win only 2 seats. BJP riding on Modi wave increased its vote share to 17%, although got only 2 seats. BJP has since managed to grow in the state as the credible opposition against Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress pushing behind the major opposition Left Front.

If the saffron party has to form the next government at the centre, increasing its seats in Bengal assumes much significance this time for the BJP. Party has already identified 23+ seats which are spread across North Bengal, tribal dominated areas of Junglemahal and the constituencies bordering Bangladesh.

BJP has been banking on Hindu polarisation by raising the pitch with the help of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 and specially targeting the Matua ( a scheduled caste) community which has influences in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi already addressed a rally in Thakurnagar of Bangaon constituency (where 65-70% voters are Matuas) on 2nd February.

However, the success of the Left's Brigade Rally will definitely change the political arithmetics of the state. Left has been banking on growing disenchantment of farmers and peasants with the state and the central government. During the month of November, Left peasant fronts organised two day march from Singur that ended with a rally in the heart of Kolkata with the gathering swelling to more than the expected 50,000 figure. The farmers' march to Kolkata pressed for various demands including setting of industries for creation of jobs, minimum support prices for the farmers etc.

Also, the 2 day Bharat Bandh called by the various trade unions including the Left against the policies of the BJP led central government was successful in Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, where BJP performed better in the panchayat elections last year amid wide allegations of rigging by TMC. Not only this, CPM supporters came out in various parts — Hooghly, Howrah, East Burdwan, West Burdman, North 24 Parganas and in the North Bengal — and strike was successful in these areas despite Mamata government's strict anti-strike measures across the state.

So, one thing is apparent that Lok Sabha elections in Bengal will not be polarised only between TMC and BJP — Left will also be a key force. Growth of BJP is at the cost of the Left and now with signs of Left growth in the state plus the broken myth of the BJP being invincible after losing assembly polls in the Hindi heartland, there are chances that many BJP voters will join the Left. Presently, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying all her ways to portray herself as the opposition leader, despite her being in power for the last 8 years, by staging the dharna against the BJP led Modi government. However, there are chances that the rise of Left will not only dampen hopes of BJP, although the saffron party will be able to increase its seat numbers but not as expected in Bengal, but also has the probability to dent TMC's aspirations to win maximum seats by taking a chunk of the disgruntled rural votes plus a section of the Muslim votes. (IPA Service)