Political parties are no stranger to criticism and pointed barbs. And whether they're being chanted by thousands, yelled into a microphone or sung in viral videos - the premise remains the same. With scant weeks left before West Bengal votes to elect a new administration, political parties are turning to campaign songs to make their points better heard.
While there are several factions vying for the 294 seat Assembly, the ruling TMC and the BJP do not seem to have eyes for any other party or individual. Members of the two parties have long exchanged barbs and taken potshots at each other. Now, the debate has turned somewhat more musical with both parties releasing catchy refrains to promote themselves (or bring down their opponents).
From the Trinamool Congress' Khela Hobe to several offerings from the BJP that hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee - the foot tapping numbers are certain to remain in your head long after the polls have closed.
'Khela hobe' which roughly translates to 'the game is on' has become an immensely popular rallying cry among TMC supporters in West Bengal. The jingle written by party spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya Dev is a viral sensation that has been shared thousands of times on social media, played at rallies or even chanted by people in a stadium.
And while we're not sure it was meant to be a compliment, the fact that even opposition parties have now begun using 'Khela Hobe' as a refrain against the TMC certainly speaks volumes about him as a creator.
But the BJP is no slouch either. And there are many takers for their shorter songs targeting the TMC supremo and raising questions about the current situation in the eastern state. Two song clips have been shared by the BJP's official Twitter handle thus far.
One, seemingly inspired by the Italian protest song Bella ciao, makes use of an animated video format to highlight problems seen under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and calls for her to leave. The original song had recently gained popularity after being featured in the Netflix show 'Money Heist'.
The second campaign song is somewhat more direct in its criticism of Mamata Banerjee, using footage from rallies and a rap style to wonder why 'Didi' is "so angry".
Captioned with a similar message in Hindi, Bengali and English, the BJP tweet contends that Bengal is "yearning for #AsholPoriborton".
