Mamata becomes 'beti' from 'didi' in TMC's new poll slogan

Facing a resurgent BJP as themain challenger in the upcoming assembly polls, West Bengal'sruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday unveiled a poll slogan-''Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chaye'', portraying Chief Minister MamataBanerjee as its mascot with focus on women voters and Bengalisub-nationalism.

The slogan, which translates to 'Bengal wants its owndaughter', presents the transformation from her popular imageof 'didi' (elder sister) to 'Nijer Meye' (own daughter), wasofficially launched at the party's headquarters off EM Bypass.

Party sources said that the slogan aims at reachingout to the women voters, who comprise nearly 49 per cent of anestimated 7 crore electorate.

The slogan is also expected to further sharpen theparty's focus on the Bengali sub-nationalism and its repeatedinstances on ''insider versus outsider'' debate, in a bid tocounter frequent visits by senior BJP leaders from outside thestate for poll campaigning.

The BJP, however, claimed that the ruling party neededa new slogan as old ones have failed.

The TMC supremo's photo along with the slogan was putup on hoardings across Kolkata.

''The people of the state want their own daughter whohas been by their side for the last several years as theirchief minister. We don't want outsiders to call the shots inBengal,'' TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

The TMC is engaged in a bitter political fight withthe BJP and projects the opposition party's leaders asoutsiders on ''election tourism'' to the state.

''This change from Didi to Nijer Meye aims tostrengthen the connection with women voters on the one hand,and on the other hand, it also smacks of Bengali sub-nationalism. It projects Banerjee as the daughter of Bengal,someone who is our own, while branding the BJP as a party ofoutsiders,'' political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said.

The feisty TMC boss shares a special bond with thewomen voters of the state since the 1980s when she made herdebut in electoral politics, political observers said.

''The upcoming election is not a big factor for theTrinamool Congress. The entire country is watching how theConstitution can be protected, and the outcome of the pollswill prove that,'' TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Subrata Bakshi said.

He said the chief minister has already a submitted areport card of the work done in the last 10 years to thepeople of the state. ''Which state has done so much? None,''Bakshi claimed.

The BJP, however, mocked the slogan and claimed thatthe people of the state want freedom from her.

''What happened to other slogans that the TMC hadearlier launched? All seem to have failed. Now they arepresenting this new drama,'' BJP state president Dilip Ghoshsaid.

The TMC's slogan of ''Bodla Noy Bodol Chai'' (Don'twant revenge but change), ahead of the 2011 polls had turnedout to be crucial in reaching out to the masses who toppledthe Left Front government after 34 years in the state.

The slogan, of ''Chup Chap Fuley Chap'' (vote for TMC insilence) is also considered iconic during the Left rule.

However, ''Ma, Mati, Manush'' (mother, land and people)-- the slogan Banerjee gave during the anti-land acquisitionagitation of the mid-2000s became the party's ideology,helping it win rural Bengal along with the urban areas,election after election.