Kamal Ghorui
AMRITSAR: Another wave of political reactions is rippling through migrant Bengali communities in Punjab, as many who recently returned to West Bengal to cast their votes have come back sharply divided over the outcome. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing a commanding number of seats and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) witnessing a setback compared to its previous highs, emotions range from deep disappointment to open celebration. As expected, the contrasting responses have not only sparked intense debates but have also led to visible taunts and political sparring among migrant workers. Those who travelled back to vote shared a sense of surprise and confusion, and their electoral participation itself has become a talking point. Dr Narayan Chandra Chatterjee, who has spent over five decades in Punjab, said that conversations with returning voters reveal fractured sentiments. One migrant recounted his shock at allegedly not finding his name on the voter list upon reaching his polling booth. “If this SIR continues, anything is possible—even similar outcomes elsewhere, especially in Punjab,” he quipped, hinting at concerns over electoral processes. According to Chatterjee, a significant section of migrants who had supported Mamata Banerjee expressed disappointment over the results. Others echoed a similar sense of disbelief. Shahrukh, who returned to Amritsar after voting in the second phase, said the scale of the TMC’s setback was “completely unexpected.” However, the mood is far from uniform. Supporters of the BJP within the migrant community are openly celebratory. Kamal Bengali, a migrant, described the result as the beginning of a “new dawn” for West Bengal, asserting that what he termed “difficult times” were now over.
