Ram Navami turns political battleground in Bengal as elections draw near

Kolkata: Ram Navami in West Bengal on Thursday unfolded into a political contest over Hindu symbolism, with the BJP foregrounding its Hindutva plank and the ruling TMC also celebrating the festival to prevent the saffron camp from monopolising the religious narrative during the high-stakes assembly poll campaign.

Across Kolkata and several districts on Thursday, saffron flags fluttered, chants of “Jai Shri Ram” echoed through crowded streets, and hundreds of processions snaked through neighbourhoods, turning what was once a relatively limited celebration in Bengal into one of the most politically charged festivals in the state’s electoral calendar.

More than 60 rallies, big and small, were scheduled across the city alone, while similar processions were organised in districts such as Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum and Uttar Dinajpur. Tight security arrangements were put in place, with thousands of police personnel deployed and central forces kept on standby in sensitive areas. The festival’s transformation into a political battleground was evident as leaders from both camps stepped onto the streets.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari joined a Ram Navami procession in Bhabanipur, the south Kolkata constituency where he is set to challenge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming polls.

“Ram Navami is a celebration of our civilisation and culture. People across Bengal are coming out in large numbers to show their devotion,” Adhikari said while participating in the rally.

For the saffron camp, Ram Navami has become a crucial instrument of political mobilisation in Bengal over the past decade.

However, the ruling TMC is no longer willing to cede the space. Over the past few years, several TMC leaders have begun participating in Ram Navami events or organising local processions themselves, a shift that political observers see as part of the party’s attempt to counter the BJP’s Hindutva narrative.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh joined a Ram Navami rally in north Kolkata along with several local leaders.

“Ram does not belong to any political party. He belongs to everyone,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently said, responding to the BJP’s aggressive mobilisation around the festival.

The chief minister’s remarks are widely seen as an attempt to reclaim the cultural symbolism surrounding the festival and prevent the BJP from monopolising the Hindu narrative. with inputs from agencies