Assembly poll campaigns: From roadshows to rallies, top leaders deliver their masterstrokes

From mega roadshows to power-packed rallies and wheelchair to martial arts, the top leaders in the country are delivering their masterstrokes on the battlefields of poll-bound states.

The most talked-about of these is undoubtedly the West Bengal Assembly polls. Here, it has become a direct tussle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A new trend that has emerged in the assembly elections this time is the issue of regionalism versus nationalism.

Striving to prove that "Bangla nijer meyekei chaye" (Bengal wants her daughter), Mamata is playing on the regional cards while calling the BJP as 'Borgi' (outsider). She tossed the debate of insider versus outsider and spared no stage to launch attacks on the BJP brigade.

From the renaming of Motera stadium in Ahmedabad on Prime Minister Modi's name to his recent Bangladesh visit and fuel price hike to his long beard, Mamata spared nothing to level scathing attacks on the former.

After Prime Minister, it is the Union Home Minister Amit Shah who has been under the fierce attack of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo. She even accused Shah of guiding the Election Commission, Central Forces and central agencies in order to earn political dividends for the BJP.

Mamata, who is known for walkathons and marches, has introduced a new dimension to her campaigns for the 2021 polls. It is the wheelchair that is serving as her chariot on the battlefield of Bengal. It is pertinent to mention that the chief minister sustained injuries on her feet during campaigning in Nandigram last month.

To topple the ruling TMC in West Bengal, BJP has been aggressively campaigning in the state. The top leadership of the party including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, party president JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are the star campaigners in Bengal.

To counter Mamata's 'Modi babu' jibe, Prime Minister says "Raag keno didi" (why are you angry, Didi?) in his firebrand rallies. He has been attacking the incumbent TMC government with the issues of 'syndicate raj', 'tolabaazi' (extortion) and corruption. Prime Minister Modi has been promising BJP's version of 'Sonar Bangla' (prosperous Bengal) in his rallies.

Taking forward TMC's 'Khela hobe' slogan, He has said, "Didi bole Khela hobe, BJP bole vikas hobe (Didi says there will be a game, BJP says there will be development).

It will not be an exaggeration to say that West Bengal has become the second home for Shah and Nadda who have been holding stormy rallies and mega roadshows on every other day across the state.

Moving towards the South, BJP brings the issue of dynastic politics to attack the Gandhi family and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Top leaders of BJP made it a point to attack the regional parties in Kerala, Tamil Nadu which have been ruling the states for decades.

"This is the fourth generation of Congress, from Nehru to Rahul Gandhi and third generation of DMK, from Karundhi to Udhaydhi, clearly showing they only focus on benefits of their families and dynasties," Shah said in his rally Tamil Nadu.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BJP chief JP Nadda, the BJP leadership has been targeting the opposition DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu by calling them a 'nepotism club'.

Apart from BJP maestros, it is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been resonating the buzz in poll-bound Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Rahul has cautiously made his attacks at the BJP-ruled Centre over the economic slowdown, unemployment and inflation.

Rahul has been holding interactive sessions and outreach programs in colleges across Kerala. Interestingly, more than his speeches, Rahul's campaigns this time are making headlines for martial arts demonstration.The Congress leader has demonstrated Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art in his campaign in colleges in Kerala.

The interesting fact in these elections is that while Mamata Banerjee is single-handedly taking on the BJP in Bengal, Rahul Gandhi is spearheading the fight in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

( With inputs from ANI )