Jadavpur (West Bengal): Short and lean, Nepal Das was sitting under a banyan tree in Garal, north Sonarpur, a part of the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.
When asked about the electoral mood in the village, Das reluctantly said, “What is the point of all these elections? Candidates come here only when they need votes. Once they get it (the votes), they never come back.”
Jadavpur is West Bengal’s most prestigious Lok Sabha seat, and parties regularly field heavyweights from here. Once a Left bastion, it elected Communist Party of India (Marxist) veteran Somnath Chatterjee to the Lok Sabha, where he later became Speaker. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also contested her first election from Jadavpur in 1984.
But this time around, the Trinamool supremo sprung a surprise and announced that Tollywood star Mimi Chakraborty – a political debutante – would have the TMC ticket from Jadavpur.
Some analysts believed that a heavyweight CPI(M) candidate could turn the Left’s fate around in the seat, as urban southeast Kolkata still has a strong CPI(M) presence. The CPI(M) has fielded former Kolkata Municipal Corporation mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.
Left’s X-factor
The Jadavpur parliamentary constituency comprises seven assembly constituencies, and is a mix of urban and rural, rich and the poor populations. The urban part, comprising Jadavpur and Tollygunge assembly constituencies, has traditionally voted for the Left.
The CPI(M) has never lost the Jadavpur assembly since 1967, barring the 2011 elections when TMC dislodged the 34-year Left regime in Bengal. Currently, CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty is the sitting MLA from Jadavpur.
Gautam Pal, a resident of Jadavpur, told The Wire, “It’s difficult to predict who will win, but it is going to be a close contest between TMC and CPI(M).”
CPI(M)’s Tollygunge Vidhan Sabha convenor, Utpal Dutta, is confident that Bhattacharya will win. “We are getting a positive response after campaigning in different parts of the constituency. People are fed up of Trinamool’s misgovernance.”
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. Credit: Facebook/Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya
Dutta explained that Bhattacharya’s profession as a lawyer helps him connect with people on the ground.
“He had helped hundreds of common people in getting their money back after they suffered in various chit funds scams, without charging any fees,” Dutta said.
Bhattacharya too appeared confident. “The contest is tough here – but with passing days, it is becoming easier,” he told The Wire.
On TMC’s choice of candidate, Bhattacharya said, “Common people feel that a persona non grata in the field of politics shouldn’t have been fielded.”
Maidul Islam, who teaches political science at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, told The Wire, “CPI(M) will definitely put up a good fight in Jadavpur, because Congress has not not fielded a candidate there.”
TMC’s organisational strength
Over the last three days, The Wire has travelled across the Jadavpur parliamentary constituency and attended several political rallies.
“Elections have become a one-sided game in West Bengal,” said Supriyo Biswas, a resident of Garfa. Biswas believes that the Left has fielded a better candidate than the TMC from Jadavpur. “CPI(M) has no organisational strength. So despite nominating a better candidate, they are likely to lose Jadavpur.”
It was early in the evening in Purba Putiary, Bansdroni, a part of South 24 Parganas district. CPI(M) candidate Bhattacharya was conducting a roadshow. Around 80-90 Left workers and supporters sporting white t-shirts with CPI(M) symbols followed him.
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This is an unusual sight for the Left in Bengal, even when it is as its lowest in terms of popularity. The roadshow reflects two things: one, only the educated loyalist remains with the party; and two, the party has failed miserable in mobilising people after being ousted in 2011.
Accepting the organisational weaknesses of the CPI(M), Bhattacharya said he is trying hard to negotiate with the situation. However, he said, “People will cast a vote for change, though they fear that Trinamool goons might not allow them to cast their vote.”
In complete contrast, TMC local party meetings, in which neither any big leaders nor the candidate were present, drew crowds of more than 500-600 people. A roadshow, organised and led by a ward councillor, saw about 200 people join in.
A TMC ward councillor from Baruipur municipality told The Wire, on the condition of anonymity, “CPI(M) has a better candidate, still they will lose, just because they have no organisational strength, no workers.”
“TMC’s organisational strength on the ground in constituencies like Baruipur East, Baruipur West, Sonarpur North and Sonarpur South will give it an edge over others. But no doubt, it will be a close contest in Jadavpur,” said Islam.
BJP not in the fray
Most people have written off the BJP. Anupam Hazra, a former Trinamool MP who was recently ousted from the party, joined BJP and the saffron party has fielded him from Jadavpur.
Mimi Chakraborty, the TMC candidate from Jadavpur. Credit: Facebook/Mimi Chakraborty
Noorul Mondal of Sonarpur said, “We don’t even know him [Anupam Hazra]. Why will anyone vote for him?”
Another Sonarpur resident, retired school teacher Bibek Roy, said, “BJP was never a contender from Jadavpur, this time also I don’t see any change in that.”
The Wire caught up with Anupam Hazra for a chat on a sweltering afternoon in Mukundapur.
The BJP candidate was marching the lanes and by-lanes with 30-35 people. When asked about the low turn-out at his campaign march, he said, “People are telling us there is no need of campaigning, they just want to cast a vote to remove the TMC from power.”
When quizzed further on his recent switch to the BJP, and how he plans to tackle his outsider image in Jadavpur, Hazra pointed out that TMC candidate Mimi Chakraborty is essentially an “outsider as she hails from Jalpaiguri”.
Defending his switch to the saffron party, Hazra said, “Trinamool has become a party for criminals and the antisocial. They are trying their best to malign my image, but I am sure people of Jadavpur are with BJP.”
Importance of Bhangor
Bhangor, an assembly constituency in the South 24 Parganas district, is a part of the Jadavpur parliamentary constituency. Bhangor is known for controversies and violence. It was once a CPI(M) stronghold under the leadership of Abdur Razzak Molla.
After the Left’s defeat in 2011, Molla joined the TMC. Now, he is the state’s minister of food processing. However, in the past 1.5 years, his public image has fallen drastically. He is not even seen campaigning much for the Jadavpur TMC candidate.
On the other hand, Arabul Islam, once a TMC strongman and former MLA from Bhangor, holds no party post now. Out on bail, Islam’s power has been curtailed by none other than the chief minister herself, when she ordered his arrest. This has left the TMC on shaky ground in the Jadavpur constituency.
Bhangor made national headlines in 2017, when villagers protested a power grid project by the Power Grid Corporation of India. During violence that went on for over two weeks, two locals were shot dead by the police. It has also been alleged that in 2013, Islam’s men forcibly grabbed land from locals at gunpoint.
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The Bhangor agitation was organised by the Jami, Jibon, Jibika, Poribesh O Bastutantra Rakha Committee. A lot has changed after the power grid protest.
Last year, the agitators decided to take the TMC head-on by contesting the gram panchayat elections. Nine independent candidates filed their nominations through WhatsApp, in accordance with the directives of the Calcutta high court.
In Bhangor’s Polerhat-II gram panchayat, committee candidates won with an overwhelming majority in five out of 16 seats. In eight seats, TMC candidates won unopposed and in the other three seats, TMC won by a slim margin.
Voting in Bhangor will be closely watched by all parties as it will play a significant role in deciding the winner for Jadavpur constituency.
“The last election, Bhangor constituency has given lead which propelled TMC to victory. Now it is a mess. Post the power grid episode, TMC has lost its ground in Bhangor. So Bhangor will be critical for the Jadavpur seat,” said Maidul Islam.