With the Assembly elections in West Bengal just around the corner, political parties are increasingly leveraging social media to influence public sentiment and voter behavior. Platforms such as YouTube and Instagram are becoming vital spaces for crafting narratives that resonate emotionally, symbolically, and politically.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has launched a digital campaign that includes a provocative YouTube video featuring statements like, “Eilish ab gairkanuni hain” (Hilsa is now illegal) and “Food that is not our tradition is a crime.” The video, titled “Bengal e BJP ashle ki hobe?” (What will happen if BJP comes to power in Bengal?), presents a fictional narrative warning of a future where crucial elements of Bengali culture—food, language, and traditions—are under threat. Through dramatized scenes, the video depicts an ordinary voter growing increasingly uneasy about his political choices, using culturally significant symbols like hilsa and mishti to evoke emotional responses while portraying the Prime Minister in a negative light. This production subtly warns of a potential upheaval in the state’s cultural and social fabric, especially under BJP governance.
The TMC’s “Fighter Didi” campaign takes this theme of cultural anxiety further by adopting a more confrontational tone. In an AI-generated animation, the party highlights its welfare initiatives, such as Lakshmir Bhandar, Rupashree, and Kanyashree, framing them not just as policy successes but also as protective measures for Bengali women. The video portrays opposition leaders as threatening figures attempting to undermine women’s financial independence. More than mere advertising, it weaves a digital folklore around Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s “Fighter” persona, concluding with real footage of confrontations to emphasize the message that these welfare programs are at risk and that only a “fighter” can defend them.
This approach extends beyond lengthy videos. On Instagram, figures like Derek O’Brien employ humor and clever wordplay to connect with younger demographics. Political acronyms are humorously transformed into food-related puns, such as equating “Bha Ja Pa” with “fried legs,” accompanied by captions like, “It might mean something significant in Hindi, but in Bangla it means fried legs,” and concluding with the reminder to “Never vote for fried legs.”
Advertising across YouTube and other platforms underscores the party’s developmental narrative, with one ad featuring an elderly man stating, “Akhon pension pawa onek sohoj hoe gache” (Getting a pension has become much easier these days). Concurrently, short Instagram videos featuring Mamata Banerjee take a more direct approach, warning that the BJP could implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and detention camps in the state while promoting the slogan “Korbo, Lorbo, Jitbo” (We will fight, we will act, we will win). Another recurring phrase, “Jotoi koro hamla, Abar jitbe Bangla” (no matter how much you attack, Bengal will win again), reinforces the TMC’s position as a defender of Bengali culture, framing political change as a potential threat to both livelihoods and identity.
The BJP’s official Instagram account, BJP4BENGAL, has adopted a strategy focused on engaging reels that include animations, real-life campaign snippets, and impactful slogans. One popular reel vividly illustrates the consequences of voting for the current government, featuring a woman in traditional attire transforming into a burqa-clad figure, a farmer losing his harvest, and a young man compelled to leave the state for work. Through such imagery, the BJP constructs a fear-driven narrative that suggests threats to identity, property, and future opportunities under the TMC, positioning itself as a safer alternative under the hashtag #PaltanoDorkarChaiBJPSarkar.
Women’s safety has become a prominent theme in the BJP’s messaging. Various posts reference the RG Kar Medical College incident to emphasize concerns about law and order. In one reel, Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar victim and a BJP candidate, is shown engaging directly with voters, particularly women, during her campaign outreach, with hashtags like #BachteChaiBJPTai and #BJP4NariSurokkha (BJP for women’s safety).
Additionally, the BJP has released targeted video advertisements that spotlight themes of alleged corruption and fear under TMC rule, incorporating the recurring voice of a youth asking “Chakri koi?” (Where are the jobs?), reflecting the concerns of unemployed young people, along with promises of pension security for government employees and commitments to women’s safety.
In a public meeting, senior TMC leader Saayoni Ghosh adopted a culturally familiar style to challenge the BJP’s electoral promises. Quoting popular Hindi song lyrics, she remarked that before elections, the BJP approaches voters with assurances like “Wada karo nahi chhodoge tum mera saath, jahan tum ho wahan main bhi hoon,” (promise me you will not abandon me, wherever you are, I will be there too). However, she contrasted this with post-election disillusionment, referencing the line “Kya hua tera wada, wo kasam, wo iraada,” (what happened to your promise, your oath, your intent), suggesting that such commitments often fall short.
