Mamata Banerjee's push to build temples ahead of next year's Bengal Assembly election has been dismissed by the opposition BJP as an attempt to 'divide and rule' because it follows Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir's promise to build a mosque in Murshidabad district.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has frequently accused the Bengal Chief Minister of 'hating Hindus' and of 'appeasement' towards minority communities, and blamed her for allowing illegal immigration into the state, via the Bangladesh border, to boost her voter support base.
Ex-BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Roopa Ganguly, told NDTV the Trinamool boss – who predicted an all-out attack from her rival, to the extent of losing Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state – is "trying to influence the people, Hindus as well as Muslims" by building these temples.
"Here, again, is her divisive policy," she claimed, "She will talk about temples and her team members, some of them, will talk about masjids (mosques). This is a political strategy."
The 'team member' reference was to Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir, who declared plans to lay the foundation stone of a mosque in Murshidabad district on December 6 – a significant date, for 33 years ago on that date right-wing Hindu groups demolished the 16th century Babri Masjid.
Kabir also spoke to NDTV. "What I saw on December 6, 1992… they demolished the historic Babri Masjid. They demolished it. Then it came to my mind… if I get a chance, I will go to Murshidabad and search for a place in Bengal (to build a new Babri Masjid)."
Kabir dismissed any link between the mosque and the election.
On Tuesday Banerjee, while leading a march against the revision of voter lists before the 2026 election, confirmed plans to build a Durga temple in Kolkata's New Town suburb, construction of which could begin by end-January. This is in addition to a Mahakal temple, dedicated to Shiva, that is to be built in the northern district of Siliguri, where the BJP is seen to be stronger.
The Bengal Assembly has set aside 25 acres of land for the latter structure.
Political analysts see the construction of temple as an effort to re-connect with Hindu voters in the region, particularly those who vote for, or may be inclined to vote for, the BJP.
In the 2021 election the BJP edged the Trinamool in this area, winning 30 of a total of 54 seats, while the Trinamool dominated elsewhere and finished with 216 of a possible 294.
If Banerjee's temple push can sway enough votes in the northern districts this time, and retain her control of the other two, the BJP will face a fourth consecutive electoral defeat in the state.
