With the grand inauguration of Jagannath Dham in Digha on Akshaya Tritiya, a strategically chosen date steeped in Hindu religious significance, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a well-orchestrated campaign clearly aimed at resonating with Hindu sentiment across the state.
The event, heavy with symbolism and meticulously planned optics, saw the chief minister herself performing the Purnahuti of a yajna, ascending the temple premises with chants of Jai Jagannath and Jai Bangla and dedicating the new temple to "Maa-Mati-Manush"— her signature political slogan.
In a bold move, Mamata declared that the picture and prasad of Lord Jagannath would be delivered to every household in Bengal, and even to prominent citizens across the country through the Information and Culture Affairs (INCA) department, a ministry directly under her control. Many see this as a symbolic parallel to BJP’s Ram Mandir campaign— except this time, it is Trinamool Congress (TMC) attempting to seize the cultural and religious narrative.
“The announcement comes just a year before the 2026 assembly elections, raising questions about the underlying political motives. Mamata is attempting to disarm the BJP's Hindutva card by staging her own version of Hindu outreach—temple, yajna, prasad and all,” said political science professor Dr. Bishnupriya Dutta Gupta.
Yet, this calculated religious overture seems to have rattled the BJP camp. Despite formal invitations being extended to all prominent BJP leaders including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, state president Sukanta Majumdar and MPs from across Bengal—none turned up. The conspicuous absence raised eyebrows.
“Was it a silent protest? A strategic boycott? Or an internal party directive to distance themselves from a TMC-led temple initiative?” asked Bishnupriya.
Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, however, broke ranks and made an unannounced but assertive appearance at the Digha temple, hours after the Chief Minister's inauguration.
Brushing aside speculations, Ghosh said with characteristic flair, “Dilip Ghosh is always special.” He emphasised that there was no party restriction against attending the event. “Even if I wasn’t in the party, I’d still come. I love temple darshan. Religion is beyond politics,” he said.
His remarks, while seemingly personal, carried an undercurrent of defiance—subtly questioning the BJP leadership’s decision to abstain. By highlighting the religious sanctity of Akshaya Tritiya and the spiritual importance of temple inaugurations, Ghosh appeared to caution against letting political calculations override matters of faith—perhaps a calculated move to preserve the party’s core Hindutva image without directly confronting its current stance.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Rajarshi Lahiri criticised the ambiguity around the temple's status.
“Is it officially a temple or not? We call Ram Mandir as Ram Mandir. What is this being called?” he questioned, taking a dig at TMC’s choice to name the project “Jagannath Center of Cultural Excellence” instead of openly branding it a religious site.
The CPI(M), on the other hand, dismissed both parties as playing the religion card.
“Instead of job letters, the government is distributing prasad,” said CPI(M)’s central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, accusing both TMC and BJP of using faith to distract from failures in governance.
In the backdrop of this ideological and political drama, the temple itself stands not just as a structure of faith, but as a strategic chess piece in the battle for Bengal’s Hindu votes. Whether it is Mamata’s inclusive cultural branding or BJP’s aggressive Hindutva rhetoric, one thing is clear: religion has once again become a frontline tool in Bengal’s fierce political warfare.
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