Key issues take back seat as SIR recasts Bengal polls as identity battle

What was shaping up as an election around corruption, jobs and anti-incumbency issues in West Bengal has suddenly turned into a battle over identity and citizenship after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls deleted over 91 lakh names, changing not just the state's electoral arithmetic but the emotional vocabulary of its campaign. The mood changed dramatically after the SIR deletions reduced the electorate by nearly 12 per cent. Political parties estimate that of the over 91 lakh names removed-though the Election Commission has not released any religious break-up - around 31 lakh are Muslims, and the remaining 61 lakh are Hindus, giving the exercise a communal and political edge. Till a few months ago, the BJP wanted the assembly election to revolve around the TMC's "15-years of misrule," jobs scam, women's safety, unemployment, and alleged TMC's minority appeasement. The TMC, in turn, was preparing to defend 'Lakshmir Bhandar', a financial assistance scheme for women,

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