India, April 23 -- The highway from Jamshedpur towards Kolkata is superb. People having tea at a Dhaba in Ghatshila in Jharkhand turn out to be Nitin Gadkari fans. As the author entered West Bengal and went off the highway towards Midnapore, he expected Ram Temple cacophony he had seen in Uttar Pradesh, Khar and Jharkhand to recede a bit in Midnapore. Not so. There were saffron flags all over jostling for space with the trademark blue of the Trinamool Congress. The author also saw tempos carrying young men and women cheering loudly near a copy of the Ram Lalla idol.

The author has visited West Bengal numerous times. While it was always associated with markers and displays of Hindu faith, the aggressive manner in which young BJP supporter...