CPI-M supporters pitch Holmes, Shirogane in Bengal

Famed fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes and video game character Naoto Shirogane, in the form of memes, are investigating and finding facts for the supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in West Bengal's Durgapur for the Lok Sabha polls.

Interesting memes in the form of a dialogue between British actor Benedict Cumberbatch - the actor who played Holmes in the popular series "Sherlock" - and Japanese sensational youth detective Shirogane are being circulated on social media.

The 'facts' found by these seekers of truth and the writing on the virtual wall are directly aimed at the state's ruling Trinamool Congress.

In the memes, the young Shirogane is seemingly influenced by the Trinamool's publicity blitz, and poses questions to Holmes, who has been depicted as a Leftist. The British actor then presents the 'facts' to blunt the Trinamool campaign.

"It is mainly an initiative taken by the young supporters of the party to engage the youth during elections," Pankaj Roy Sarkar, the Secretary of the CPI-M's Durgapur East Zonal committee told IANS on Monday.

Asked about the choice of characters, Sarkar said: "See many people are raising this question. It is just that popular characters have been taken to attract young voters. If they are able to connect with these characters, only then will they take interest in the actual message that is being conveyed."

For instance, in one poster, Shirogane mentions Trinamool's claim of opening the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport at Andal. Cumberbatch replies that the entire work from arranging the land, roping in an investor, and project implementation was done during the days of the sixth Left Front government.

"The Trinamool government only did the inauguration, and they are now tom tomming it (the project) as their success," Cumberbatch said.

The Trinamool, however, is unfazed by the CPI-M campaign.

Exuding confidence, Trinamool's Durgapur Sub-Divisional District President Uttam Mukherjee said: "Mamata Banerjee is the number one in the whole world for the development work she has done in the state.

"So even if the party which was responsible for Bengal's downfall for 34 years (the CPI-M headed Left Front ruled the state from 1977 to 2011) makes posters and writes witty comments, they will not be able to compete with us."

--IANS

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