Promises, fault-finding — not always without foundation — and mockery seem to have become the formula for campaign speeches from leaders of the party ruling at the Centre. Specific issues touching people in their everyday lives have never been favourite subjects of any ruling party, because that suggests accountability. But Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have made this avoidance into high art. The prime minister sets the model; his speech at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Calcutta was a lovely example of bland evasion. True, Narendra Modi did not harp on religion or cows, his party’s preferred themes, or go overboard with sedition or ‘anti-nationals’ — although he did promise that the BJP would work against anyone who is ‘anti-Bengal’. But nothing of what Mr Modi said — like a party leader and not a prime minister — referred to people’s needs and demands. The incredible rise in the prices of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas cylinders have added to the miseries of a population already fighting high costs together with the loss of jobs and livelihoods. Entertaining his audience with a vision of the West Bengal chief minister almost falling off a two-wheeler she rode in protest against the inexplicable rise in oil prices cannot be the best way to dodge that.

Or is it? Religion and cow-worship have paid the BJP well in the past; bread-and-butter issues could be ignored. To say that the Trinamul Congress government has done nothing for workers and farmers may raise cheers too, but it glosses over countrywide unemployment and the controversial new labour laws, while pretending that thousands of farmers are not waiting for months with their demands outside Delhi in spite of deaths and sickness. The TMC government is far from perfect, and can be charged with numerous failures, corruption among its adherents being most notable. The lack of industry, which Mr Modi promised to correct, is an inescapable fact. But criticizing the chief minister at length and painting a rosy picture of an imagined BJP-led Bengal is not a road-map, nor does it answer any questions. The Bengal chief minister is bringing up some bread-and-butter issues pertaining to the BJP-led government. But it is not yet clear how far political parties can go with the rhetoric of religion, nation, future success, aggressive criticism and contempt.