Chants of power: How slogans set the tone in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam elections | India News
“Ache din come waal hai…”“Abki Bar Modi Govt…”“The game will be…”Such slogans often carry a lot of heavy lifting in elections. Speeches and manifestos may provide the details, but it’s these short, catchy lines that bring energy to campaigns and stay with people long after the rallies are over.Like every election in India, the assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry followed the same script, with parties setting the tone and shaping the campaign narrative with their own punchline.
West BengalConflict between Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and the Prime Minister Narendra ModiControversy over the special intensive revision of the electoral roll (SIR), and several other factors have made Bengal’s assembly elections one of the most hotly contested in recent memory.Narrative wars between themselves intensify ahead of elections TMC And BJPSlogans have intensified.‘Fear Out, Trust In, Vote BJP’In Bengal, Prime Minister Modi has framed the assembly elections as a fight to replace “brother“with (fear)”trust“(Faith) “No matter how much the TMC goons terrorize you on polling day, you have to have faith in the law. In this election, fear will be removed from Bengal. Confidence will be awakened by BJP’s massive victory…” the Prime Minister said at an election rally.Tweaked in Bengali”Fear Out, Trust In, Vote BJP“There were multiple election promises aimed at strengthening the ‘Varosa’ plank with the party’s message.
Along with this, the BJP has also revamped its vocabulary of tone and slogans. It included the religious and cultural identity of Bengal—“Jai Maa Kali“and”Jai Maa Durga“- with “Jai Shri Ram“Song.‘Attack in alliance, and Bengal will win’To counter the BJP’s narrative, the TMC has leaned on identity and sharpened the “insider vs. outsider” narrative. 2021 reminds of “will play,” brought by TMC “Jotoi Koro Hamla, Abar jitbe Bangla“(Attack as much as you like, Bengal will win again) Assembly election battle cry.The slogan – which was adapted into a three-minute campaign song – refers to attacks on religion and the Bengali language and repeatedly insists that the political battle is to “save the plurality of Bengali” over both religion and personal preference.
Lines like “Bargi Ashe from the outside, protein mashe in neom core” the word also invited squareA historically loaded word in Bengali.Borgi refers to the 18th century Marathi cavalry raiders who made repeated incursions into Bengal between 1741 and 1751.Over time, Bargi entered the Bengali cultural memory through folk tales and lullabies, especially “The boy slept, read, and came home,” symbolizes an external threat arriving unannounced.Tamil Nadu‘Stalin Thodaratum, Tamil Nadu Vellattum’Pitching for a second term for Chief Minister Stalin, the DMK started its Tamil Nadu assembly campaign with the song.Stalin Thodaratum, Tamil Nadu Vellattum” (Long live Stalin, Long live Tamil Nadu).The party’s official campaign song put Stalin front and center, framing the election as a battle to save the state. It has raised concerns around “hawks from the North”, the controversial New Education Policy (NEP) and SIR.
Built around the same theme, the lyrics warn of “eagles” coming in disguise but being chased away—a clear jab at the BJP and the Centre. For the second term in a row, the DMK also leaned on its welfare record to counter the BJP-AIADMK alliance.‘Inga poti rendu perukku naduvila than… annu DMK, innonnu TVK’Actor Vijay Thalapathy’s TVK positioned itself as a direct alternative in a state dominated by the DMK and AIADMK, using the lineInga Poti Rendu Perukku Naduvila Than… Annu DMK, Innonnu TVK” (The contest here is between two people—DMK and TVK).The campaign leaned heavily on Vijay’s mass appeal, with thousands flocking to rallies to hear him speak or catch a glimpse of him. Slogans like “Flute planter“and”Visil Parakum” (whistling; the flute will blow) added a high-energy, youth-driven edge, turning crowd participation into a visible display of momentum.‘Makkalai Kapam, Thamizhagathai Meetpam’Positioning itself as a rival, the AIADMK-BJP alliance built its Tamil Nadu Assembly campaign slogan around “Makkalai kapom, thamizhagathai meetpom” (Let us save the people, let us restore Tamil Nadu).
The election was termed a “course correction”, with the coalition arguing that the state needed to be “rescued” from the incumbent DMK government.The slogan sought to tap into concerns around governance and law and order while projecting the alliance as a protector of the public interest.Kerala‘Matarund LDF Allathe?’Positioning itself as the default choice, the LDF built its Kerala campaign around the sloganMattarund LDF Allathe?(Who else but LDF?)The message leans on consistency and credibility, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the centre. With Kerala as its last major stronghold, the Front has built on its record of governance – from welfare distribution and housing to infrastructure and the eradication of extreme poverty.
The campaign also sought anti-incumbency by contrasting its tenure with what it called the “dark times” of the ruling UDF.‘Keralam Jaikkum, UDF Naikkum’On the other hand, the Congress-led UDF campaigned on “Keralam Jaikkum, UDF Naikkum(Kerala will win, UDF will lead).Leader of the Opposition VD Satheshan led the offensive with this slogan positioning the alliance as a force capable of taking the state forward. Setting an ambitious target, the UDF aims for a decisive comeback in the 140-member assembly.‘Marthathu ini marum, Keralam valrum’Seeking to tap into Kerala’s bipartisan politics, the BJP-led NDA adopted the slogan “Marathathu ini marum, Keralam valrum(This time change will come, Kerala will improve).The campaign framed the election as an opportunity to disrupt, positioning the alliance as an alternative beyond the LDF-UDF split. By focusing on selected constituencies, the NDA aims to convert its growing presence into a tangible electoral success.Assam‘BJP government again and again’Positioning itself on continuity and control, the BJP-led NDA in its Assam campaign “Again and again BJP Govt” (repeatedly by the BJP government) and the theme of the manifesto “Security is unequal, development is unequal” (Reserved Assam, Developed Assam).
The message leaned heavily on Chief Minister Himanta Vishwa Sharma’s twin pitches on population and development, framing the election as a high-stakes battle over identity and governance.
the poll
Which slogan do you think best captures the essence of the West Bengal elections?
‘I’m spinning’Among the regional players, the Assam National Assembly (AJP) built its campaign “I am dizzy(We are in every house)The slogan sought to emphasize grassroots presence and local connections, displacing earlier identity-driven narratives such as “Jati, Mati, Veti” (community, land, culture). Other regional forces, including the AGP, echoed the sentiments at the core of the Assam movement, reinforcing issues of identity and regional pride.
