Mamata’s ‘Expiry Babu’ retort hits where it hurts Modi and BJP most

Mamata Banerjee has given Narendra Modi a new nickname – ‘Expiry Babu’.  It is a phrase that is catching on fast, especially in West Bengal where the electoral battle between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP  has escalated into not only a fierce war of words but is dangerously close to turning even more violent.

Evidence of this is that the Election Commission itself has instructed the State police to immediately lodge an FIR against BJP MP Babul Supriyo for entering a polling booth in Asansol and interfering in the polling process.  Reports say Supriyo lost his temper and created an unruly scene when a Trinamool polling agent jokingly referred to the Prime Minister as “Expiry Babu”.

The TMC worker had apparently told Supriyo that the reason why the BJP polling agent was not visible in the polling booth was that he had deserted his polling duty upon realising that Narendra Modi had reached the ‘expiry date’ of his tenure as Prime Minister and there was no point wasting time as a BJP agent.

Those who have studied Modi’s campaign strategy closely know that his main effort is to create an atmosphere that BJP is sure of winning and rival parties are facing electoral defeat.   This game-plan would be ruined if there is a counter-narrative that BJP is heading for defeat and Modi has no chance of remaining the Prime Minister.

The “Expiry Babu” tag seeks to do just that - create the public perception that votes cast for BJP candidates would be wasted votes because the party is on the verge of being ousted from power in Delhi.   Such a perception if allowed to grow would not only deflate the morale of BJP workers but also make potential voters hesitate to press the Lotus button on the EVM.

Like Babul Supriyo, other party leaders campaigning in West Bengal have been quick to realize the danger of allowing the impression to spread that Modi and his BJP government at the Centre are on their last legs and are facing certain defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Word has already gone around that in the first three rounds of polling in various States, including the critical State of Uttar Pradesh, anti-BJP parties and alliances were poised to make significant gains in the number of seats.  In West Bengal especially the BJP had never been a force in earlier elections.

However,  the BJP has invested enormous amounts of energy and resources over the past several months to conjure up an impression that this time Hindutva sentiments reign high and this would turn the tide in favour of the BJP and against Trinamool, Left and Congress. Aggressive campaigning by party leaders and RSS cadres backed by fulsome support from the corporate media have been able to arouse hopes despite the fact that Trinamool Congress won 211 of the State's 294 assembly seats in the 2016 assembly elections and in the outgoing Lok Sabha, it has 34 MPs out of 40.

More than anybody else, Narendra Modi himself is aware of the need to shake off the ‘Expiry Babu’ tag.  Accordingly he has stepped up his verbal onslaught against the Trinamool to extraordinary extents.   Some of his most recent campaign speeches have been desperate attempts to tarnish the image of Mamata Banerjee in a variety of personal attacks. He has called her the most corrupt chief minister in the country and a ‘speed-breaker’ who did not want development in her State.

Going even further he has now dubbed her a ‘desh drohi’ and an agent of ‘enemies of the country’.  In his speech in Siliguri, Modi even warned that after the elections 40 of her party MLAs would defect to the BJP.

Even sections of media which has been supportive of his campaign till now have been taken aback by the vehemence of his verbal assault.  The feeling is palpable that he has crossed the line - a Prime Minister is not entitled to label an elected Chief Minister of a State anti-national.  Moreover his allegations in his public rallies clearly have communal overtones with clear references to her support for the minority community.

There is talk in political circles that Mamata Banerjee would be justified in filing an FIR against Modi for his utterances and demand action by the Election Commission for violation of the model code of conduct. In view of the fact that Nirvachan Sadan has in the last few days been quick to issue reprimands and clamp gag orders on several other well-known political leaders, including Adityanath, Mayawati and Azam Khan, for breach of the model code, it cannot be ruled out that the Commission may be forced to rap the Prime Minister on the knuckles in order to retain its own credibility.

In the meantime, Mamata Banerjee is proving more than a match for Narendra Modi in political counter-punches and retorts. Responding to the ‘speed breaker’ jibe, she accused the Prime Minister of not doing anything for the country.

In her speech at Coochbehar, the Trinamool leaders said, “Today at Siliguri you mentioned our government has done nothing for the poor.  Expiry babu, what have you done?” She claimed that the income of farmers had increased three times in West Bengal under her administration, while 12,000 farmers committed suicide during Modi’s rule at the Centre. She added:  “I am not Modi, I don’t tell lies”.

Mamata also said that the Modi’s favourite yogi had mocked the Indian Army by referring to it as the “Modi’s Sena”. She said, “I am born in the land of Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore and I do not need a nationalist certificate from you”.

In her usual style she taunted Modi for trying to divide India on the basis of religion - “You will salute Amma and not say salam to the Ammi next door.  When will you realize that this country cannot be divided.  They want to feed you Dilli ka laddoo, first take care of Delhi, then come to Bengal.”

This kind of bucolic humour evidently gets under Mod’s skin more effectively than any normal politically correct criticism.  All the more because the Prime Minister prides himself on his earthy taunts against others.  Apart from claiming that 40 TMC MLAs were in touch with him and would desert their party after the elections, he launched a tirade against the TMC supremo Mamata for trying to project her nephew by giving him an election ticket.

Other Trinamool leaders have been quick to counter Modi’s jibes.  Derek O'Brien accused the Prime Minister of "horse trading" and said the party will complain to the Election Commission.  In a tweet he said:  “Expiry Babu PM, let’s get this straight. Nobody will go with you. Not even one councillor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading?  Your expiry date is near. Today, we are complaining to the Election Commission. Charging you with horse trading”.