Krishnanagar (West Bengal): It is literally a blast from the past. In this Lok Sabha election 2024, Mir Jafar has suddenly popped up in the discussion.
Mir Syed Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur, better known as Mir Jafar (1691–1765) was a commander-in-chief or military general, who reigned as the first dependent Nawab of Bengal. He served as the commander of the Bengali army under Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, but betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey and ascended to the masnad or throne after the British victory in 1757. Being a close confidante of Lord Clive, Mir Jafar received military support from the East India Company until 1760. And, Raja Krishnachandra Ray was a friend of Mir Jafar.
In the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency, after the BJP fielded Amrita Ray, a descendant of Raja Krishnachandra Ray, as its candidate, new trends have started on social media. The BJP candidate is being taunted by citing the history of Raja Krishnachandra Ray.
Digging into history, it can be seen that Krishnachandra Ray was part of the group that conspired against Siraj-ud-Daulah along with Jagdish Sheth, Mir Jafar and others and conspired with Robert Clive. As a result of this alliance, Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated in the Battle of Plassey. It is known that Krishnachandra maintained cordial relations with the British and especially with Robert Clive.
This good relationship came in handy when Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal ordered the execution of Krishnachandra Ray in the 1760s. Apart from cancelling the death sentence, Clive also gifted five cannons and made Krishnachandra the landlord of the Krishnanagar area. He was also conferred the title of Maharaja.
This alliance between Raja Krishnachandra and Mir Jafar has prompted netizens to go all out and create a buzz after Maharani Amrita Ray, the descendant of Raja Krishnachandra was selected by the BJP as its candidate from the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat. She has been pitted against Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress. Social media was flooded with comments like "Raja Krishnachandra Ray wanted to sell Bengal like Mir Jafar." Someone else wrote, "he had a secret relationship with his opponents."
But, the descendant of Mir Jafar is simply brushing away all controversies. Reza Ali Mirza, who is also known as the Chote Nawab and resides in Murshidabad in West Bengal, told ETV Bharat, "Mir Jafar has come to the discussion again and I am definitely happy. But it is not just (about the) Lok Sabha election, Mir Jafar is always relevant. He sacrificed his life for the independence of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. There is no reason to consider him a traitor.”
Amrita Ray is defiant. She has already received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is bubbling with enthusiasm. Responding to criticism she said, "More sarcasm the opponents make, more my vote bank will increase. 200 years ago, they were not there, we were not there. Therefore, what is the use of saying these things? We should see what is happening now. We will win convincingly.”
Some say it is a Battle Royale in Krishnanagar this time. Others want to see how the contest between Mahua Moitra and Amrita Ray takes shape in the coming days, in a constituency which is heavily dominated by the Dalit Matuas. But one thing for certain. The wait will only be over on June 4.
