The BJP doesn’t want President’s rule in Bengal and is confident that the Assembly elections will be held on time, as any central intervention would help Mamata Banerjee play the victim card.

“I am sure that there will be no such situation as President’s rule. The party is very confident of winning this election,” said a senior BJP leader.

The appointment of R.N. Ravi as Bengal governor had set tongues wagging that the BJP was mulling President’s rule in the state before the elections. Political circles have begun speculating whether the replacement of C.V. Ananda Bose with a “strong” figure like Ravi indicated that the Centre was preparing the ground in anticipation that the ongoing SIR process, particularly the cases pending adjudication, might not end on time.

“If there is President’s rule or some kind of interim central intervention before the elections, it would help Mamata play the victim card, which the party is not ready to hand over, and that is why we don’t want such a situation to come,” a top BJP leader said.

A source in the BJP said it was the Trinamool Congress that floated the narrative of President’s rule by linking it to the appointment of the new governor as part of its political strategy.

The chief minister wrote on her social media handle that she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the news of Bose’s resignation and Union home minister Amit Shah’s communication to her that Ravi would be the new man at Raj Bhavan.

On Friday, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy wrote on social media: “State Governments must be involved in the appointment of the governor with the formation of panels, recommended by Sarkaria Commission. Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations recommended Governor must be appointed after consultation with the State concerned. Who listens ?”

Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday questioned the resignation of Bose barely a month before the elections.

BJP insiders said the party was more interested in pressing the Election Commission to hold the polls in the fewest phases, and it would raise the demand during its scheduled meeting with the commission on March 9. Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is set to visit the state between March 8 and 10.

However, a section of BJP leaders still feels that the possibility of President’s rule cannot be completely ruled out, as both the Congress and the CPM have started demanding that no election be held without clearing the 60 lakh voters whose cases are pending adjudication.

“Although the top party leaders do not want such a situation, the move by Congress and the CPM demanding clearance of 60 lakh voters from the ‘under-adjudication’ category is a threat. If it is not completed before the election, then what will happen?” asked a BJP leader in Calcutta.

However, another leader disagreed with that concern, saying that around 7 lakh such cases had already been cleared, and there was still time until the filing of nominations to settle the remaining cases. “We hope it will be completed and the elections will take place on time, ensuring the BJP comes to power,” said the leader.

BJP sources said the party did not believe that Mamata’s dharna would have much impact, as they felt the SIR issue was not strong enough to help her win the election.

Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar mocked Mamata’s dharna and said: “The chief minister was rehearsing her role as an Opposition leader as the BJP will come to power in Bengal”.

“If you see, the SIR was not an issue in Bihar. Mamata Banerjee often dismisses the politics adopted by Rahul Gandhi. Interestingly, in the case of SIR, she has adopted a similar line as Rahul Gandhi, and it will not yield any result,” said a senior BJP leader.

Trinamool insiders, however, claimed that the BJP had been trying to downplay the SIR movement because it understands that Mamata’s move — from approaching the Supreme Court to hitting the streets in Calcutta — has given her considerable strength to build a narrative that the SIR process is aimed at removing the names of Bengali voters.

Experts have said there is also a constitutional provision wherein the chief minister might be asked to continue as chief advisor under Presidential supervision.

“There are two options in President’s rule. Either it would be outright President’s rule led by the Bengal governor or it could be Mamata Banerjee as chief advisor to the governor under Presidential supervision,” said political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty.