Pollbound Bengal on Wednesday witnessed celebrations by the Left Front and the BJP on the 138th birth anniversary of late Congress leader Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was the second chief minister of the state.

The Bengal government declared a state holiday on Roy’s birthday, which is celebrated as Doctor’s Day, this year to acknowledge people at the forefront of the fight against Covid19.

Several Left Front leaders participated in the annual event organised by the state unit of the Congress to commemorate the birthday of Roy who was known for his proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru. On the other hand, the BJP held a web seminar on Roy’s contributions and its state chief Dilip Ghosh described him as the “Vikas Purush (Man of Development)”.

“Bidhan Roy has a larger than life image and all parties want to capitalise on it,” said a political analyst.

The event at Bidhan Bhavan — the state headquarters of the Congress named after Roy himself — was attended by CPM MLA Sujan Chakraborty, Forward Bloc state secretary Naren Chatterjee, RSP general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya and CPI state secretary Swapan Banerjee.

Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya who was present at the event said it marked the launch of an alternative political force for the people of Bengal who despise both the Trinamul Congress and the BJP.

“Our party had political differences with Dr Roy. However it was Jyoti Basu who had renamed Salt Lake as Bidhannagar after its founder,” Sujan Chakraborty told The Telegraph.

The Congress and the Left parties have decided to undertake multiple common programs in a bid to project an alliance in the upcoming polls. The top brass of both the political forces hope events such as the joint celebration of Roy’s birthday will help to send out a message of unity to workers.

“The participation of the red brigade at an event in Bidhan Bhavan will boost the morale of the supporters,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.

The BJP had instructed workers to celebrate Roy’s birthday across the state. Sources said the decision was a part of the strategy to establish the BJP as a party that values Bengali sentiments.

“For long, we have been criticised for our nonBengali roots. As we go to polls in nine months from now, it is time we change that,” a BJP source said. This person confirmed that this was the first time that the July 1 event was celebrated in an organised manner by the BJP.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh participated in a web seminar titled ‘Dr B.C. Roy and his contribution to West Bengal’. “Dr Roy was the only chief minister of the state who had worked for its development. He was the state’s Vikas Purush,” Ghosh said. He claimed that Roy had supported RSS ideologue Shyamaprasad Mukherjee on several issues.

Trinamul criticised Opposition leaders for allegedly stooping low to politicise a former chief minister’s birth anniversary. “Mamata Banerjee never misses to wish our national heroes on their birthdays. Just because elections are round the corner, the Opposition is suddenly busy with Bidhan Roy. Why did the BJP not celebrate his birthday all these years?” asked Trinamul spokesperson and Minister Rajib Banerjee.