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| BJP Muslim candidate: Jangipur |
Jangipur (West Bengal), Apr 22 All eyes are on the third phase of parliamentary elections in West Bengal as polling will be held in five key constituencies of Jangipur, Balurghat, Murshidabad, Maldaha Uttar and Maldaha Dakshin on Tuesday.
In Jangipur, the competition is getting tougher by the hour as Congress nominee and sitting MP Abhijiit Mukherjee is facing more aggressive and personal attack from the Trinamool Congress.
In the run up to the polls, none other than Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee has slammed Abhijit Mukherjee more than once for his ‘failure’ as the lawmaker during his stint as an elected member since 2012.
It was in 2012 by-election first, Mr Abhijit won on the Congress ticket after his father and the former President Pranab Mukherjee had vacated his seat.
Even as Mr Abhijit won the seat in 2016 state assembly polls again, the victory margin came down to a modest 2500.
According to sources in the BJP and the Congress, the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit is indulging in ‘covert campaign’ trying to give out a repeated message that the RSS workers are working overtime to ensure victory of Mr Mukherjee.
“There is a cheap campaign by Trinamool on Abhijit Mukherjee being helped by RSS workers,” a local Congress worker said here adding “Mamata Banerjee and others are dragging the good office of former President Pranab Mukherjee into the electoral fray and trying to give a message that a large number of RSS workers are backing Abhijit”.
This is “far from truth” – says BJP source. But some workers in the Congress admit at best it could be ‘half truth’ as somehow the BJP leaders are not targeting Abhijit Mukherjee personally.
“The reasons can be anything, but certainly not RSS-Pranab babu nexus. It is very low level campaign,” the Congress worker said.
Sources said Trinamool leaders are regularly giving an impression that Pranab Mukherjee has tried to ‘cultivate’ the RSS by his attending a special RSS session in Nagpur last year.
“This is only an electoral strategy. Desperate Mamata Banerjee is trying to deprive Abhijit Mukherjee the minority votes. But it is sad that a leader of such a stature is doing so for a senior colleague and former President Pranabda,” says another local Congress leader Nimai Purkayastha in Umarpur – that falls under Jangipur.
In Umarpur, a BJP worker also agreed to the point that the Trinamool Congress is trying to win over minority votes in this constituency by such campaigns.
“Notably, 50 per cent of voters in Jangipur make a particular religious group. Hence, while all eyes are on the star candidate and sitting Congress MP Abhijit Mukherjee, rest all three main parties – the Trinamool Congress, BJP and the CPI-M have fielded minority candidates," he says.
Certainly, this is not without good reasons. Mamata Banerjee’s candidate is Khalilur Rehman
The BJP has fielded Mafooza Khatun – who has pledged to work for the welfare of the local Bidi workers.
Mohammad Julfikar Ali of CPI-M talks about erosion in river Ganga and how it has hit the people in the region. He says both the Congress and Trinamool Congress have failed with their opportunistic approaches.
But at times – the CPI-M leaders are faced with the ‘embarrassment’ and have to go defensive as the party leadership had undertaken seat adjustments with the Congress in 2016 assembly elections.
“Our experience is that the Congress benefited by such an alliance. They got our votes, but the Congress vote never got transferred, and we suffered,” says CPI-M worker Jishu Ghosh.
As he sits ‘insulated’, Lalu Prasad’s tryst with destiny is finally here
New Delhi, Apr 19 : The tryst with destiny cannot be postponed for ever.
The politics of Bihar has been the story of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his political machinations for decades. Not surprisingly, the RJD supremo has always taken pride in it.
One time national president of Janata Dal – much before the socialist outfit suffered numerous splits – Lalu Prasad almost thought he would make it as Prime Ministerial aspirant.
But there was the end of the road!
First the debacle came in 2005 – twice in the calendar year and it was his sheer pressure tactics on Manmohan Singh government that elections were imposed on Bihar within six months. In November 2005 polls, RJD’s defeat was clear and vocal and since then Nitish Kumar has not looked back.
But the icing in the cake is that the ‘Battle of Bihar in 2019’ would be the first election without Lalu in the scene!
It goes without saying that the Muslims and Yadavs contributed majorly and consistently to give him the political strength. His ‘MY’ card looked invincible.
The Muslims and Yadavs with 25-27 per cent of votes have consistently backed him and made him the indispensable force in Bihar – both prior to the creation of Jharkhand and after that.
A closer look at the elections in Bihar – prior to division in 2000 and also later – have affirmed that in two decades and more, the central figure of state politics has been Lalu Prasad.
It is worth mentioning to point out that the combination of political parties that associate with him or oppose him may have changed, but he has remained the undisputed principal factor in the contests throughout.
The former Bihar Chief Minister in the entire period remained an admired political protagonist even among bitter political rivals for his charismatic and mass appeal.“Bihar can be bifurcated only on my dead body,” was one example of rhetoric mannerism when he wanted to oppose carving out of the state.Looking back, analysing his politics and the manner he conducted himself , it may be mentioned that Lalu Prasad’s face had an impression of a extra-ordinary rustic look suiting his image and more importantly his political constituency. In rest of India or in big cities, while people of all political hues struggled to present themselves as sophisticated and intelligent, do not forget, Lalu preferred to play a “gaon ke aadmi (a rustic and simpleton)”. Lalu had even promised to “make Bihar roads shine like actress Hemamalini’s cheeks”.Lalu’s mannerism and inherent ‘acceptance’ by media and the political constituency often leads one to ponder - which one is more ridiculous: to appear a fool or to pretend to be smart!A host of internet jokes surfaced on him involving global personalities like US President Bill Clinton and Pervez Musharraf.Character actor Paresh Rawal, now a BJP leader, has already acted in a film emulating Lalu while another film starring Sunil Shetty was named after him.
Prakash Jha-made ‘Gangajal’ depicting politically-motivated violence under his rule and ironically the negative protagonist of the film is named after his brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav.
Lalu also created his virtues in key aspects like governance and when fodder scam came chasing him during the stint of I K Gujral as Prime Minister, lalu rather selfishly imposed his wife Rabri Devi as Bihar’s Chief Minister.
His political detractors like Sushil Modi has said that the father of two sons and seven daughters, Lalu had even made his ‘large family’ a platform to make frontal attack on Indira Gandhi’s forced ‘sterilization programme’ – Nasbandi - during the Emergency. Opposing the draconian and harsh laws of the time, he even named his eldest daughter ‘Misa Bharati’ after the infamous Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) enacted during Emergency between 1975-77.But in circa 2019, he is not in regular political war-cry and his absence is being missed a lot by RJD-Congress-RLSP alliance at a critical time of history when these parties and others are solely focused on dethroning ‘another master of populism’ Narendra Modi.
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| Blogger Dev |
There’s much ado about ‘symbols’ in electoral politics
New Delhi, Apr 17 Indian elections, they say, is the statisticians’ delight. From the palm-fringed Kerala shores to extreme corners in the wilds of north east to the sun-baked sands of western India, India is drowned in the din of polls to elect a new Lok Sabha.
Unlike the present, when heat and dust of electoral battle is reduced to name calling, battle of fake news on social media and unprecedented reprimand of leading politicians and campaigners by the poll panel – the battles of yesteryears were also about ‘symbols’ and the war cry was definitely more than just symbolic.The new generation voters may not know that the first major symbol to have been ‘freezed’ by the Election Commission was the ‘pair of bullocks’, which was used by Congress under Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and also briefly by Indira Gandhi in subsequent polls in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1977 polls.. The ‘cow and the calf’ came into the scene and soon it disappeared and then came in the ‘hand symbol’ for the Congress since 1980 and it has survived.Earlier to that, the Congress led by Indira Gandhi had split in 1978 and ‘cow and the calf’ had disappeared. The ‘hand symbol’ proved lucky for Congress as it swept the 1980 polls and the country’s first non-Congress dispensation ran by Janata Party ended. How many of middle aged and young voters today in India – chiefly the net loving citizens – could at once recognise ‘Lamp’ as the symbol of the Jan Sangh, the precursor of the BJP?Curiously for BJP, its bitter opponent among Congress politicians Arjun Singh had approached the EC to freeze the ‘Lotus’ symbol saying that it was ‘misused’ during L K Advani’s Rath Yatra.
An overwhelming size among the electorate may not know that despite the EC ban on use of animals as poll symbols, the might Elephant ‘survived’ and still woos voters in UP (BSP of Mayawati), Assam (AGP), the PMK in Pondicherry and Sikkim Sangam Parishad in Sikkim.The animal and of course the bird lovers had complained that goats, cocks, birds and camels were often ‘ill treated’, but the king of jungle Lion survived as symbol(s) for Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in Goa, Hill State People’s Democratic Party in Meghalaya and the All India Forward Bloc in West Bengal.
In Nagaland, ‘Cock or Rooster’ used to be a symbol of pride for the regional political force and for decades it remained identified with the regional parties UDF, NNDP and later Nagaland People’s Council (NPC).The NPC later merged with a dissident group from Congress and rechristened itself as NPF – its symbol is Rooster. The newly floated NDPP’s symbol is globe.
The Bow and Arrow is a popular symbol and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha all have it in their electoral armoury.
The AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and Kerala Congress (M) depend on two leaves and in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee uses ‘grass and leaves’ to suggest party’s claim of representing the grassroots people.
The Janata parivar’s symbol ‘Charkha or wheel’ also has been in news from time to time due to claims by contestant factions. In 1989-90, Doordarshan had made ‘news’ when the commercial advertisement of detergent powder ‘Wheel’ faced restrictions as the ‘wheel’ was also election symbol of Janata Dal.
In 1980 as Congress under Indira Gandhi had returned to power and Janata Party split – the BJP led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani got the ‘Lotus’ symbol and Chandra Shekhar group walked away with the ‘umbrella’.
The ‘symbol’ politics was with the Left parties as well. The Communist Party of India has split in 1964 with the CPI-Marxists walking away with the symbol ‘hammer and sickle’ symbolising workforce; the CPI retained the symbol of ‘sickle and a sheaf of corn’ reflecting agrarian struggle and the fight of the working class.
Talk to old timers among politicians, like Kariya Munda of BP or Sharad Yadav, they say – ‘symbols’ are particularly crucial for ‘illiterate’ and simpleton voters as they identify leaders and parties by ‘symbols’.
In 1999 after the split in Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP faced this problem in rural Maharashtra where villagers said they would vote for ‘Pawar Sahib’ but were not sure that his ‘symbol’ was no longer the hand. In many places, NCP volunteers well wishers and volunteers had to distribute ‘clocks’ to emphasise what was really their symbols.
Interestingly, even in the 21st century and in a country where use of electricity is almost considered one of the basic requirements of life – Lalu Prasad-led RJD election symbol is an old fashioned ‘Hurricane Lamp or Lantern’.
Moon Moon Sen's roadshow: More of glamour than political slugfest
Asansol (West Bengal), Apr 20 (UNI) The word about it had spread a few hours ago. A mixed crowd of youth - most seemingly Trinamool Congress enthusiasts and others still favouring Narendra Modi had gathered at Barabani for a roadshow for Moon Moon Sen.
The daughter of Bengali silver screen star Suchitra Sen, Moon Moon is Trinamool Congress nominee pitted against Babul Supriyo, a self-proclaimed 'die-hard' Modi lieutenant, from Asansol.
Barabani has been a nerve centre of political rivalry wherein CPI-M candidate Gouranga Chatterjee was attacked recently.
But the scene on Friday evening was different. It is more of a glamour show and what the film star wore during her portrayal of different characters in the films and how does she look now.
Ms Sen has been Tollywood's -- Bengal's film world's -- one of the very few actresses who turned on the heat in numerous movies both in Bengali cinema and in Bollywood products with her 'glamour' and 'modern outfits'.
There was chock-a-block scenario with the crowd on Friday afternoon waiting for more than an hour.
And finally she arrived in an open jeep gracing the occasion clad in a black bordered cream coloured sari and a matching black blouse.
With her red 'sindoor bindi', the infectious smile and waving her hands - sometime right and sometime left - the crowd stood mesmerized.
However, not many were sure whether they would vote for the Trinamool Congress. One 20-something youth Kingshuk Banerjee said, "I am a Narendra Modi fan, but who does not like to see a star. Moreover, Moon Moon Sen's mother Suchitra Sen used to make my Dadu (grandfather) go mad. So, I am here. But my vote is reserved for Babulda (BJP candidate)".
But there were a large number of 'BJP supporters' of 2014 - who now say - they could vote for Moon Moon Sen this time.
"It will be my tribute to a film star. It is a proud occasion to record her movements on mobile," remarked Arabinda Purkayashtha, 33 clicking numerous selfies.
The political spotlight at the roadshow was, however, stolen by Aroop Biswas, a Minister in the Mamata cabinet.
In his speech, Mr Biswas slammed the Modi government for all issues ranging from demonetisation, failure to provide Rs 15 lakh to citizens to Prime Minister's frequent travel overseas.
"Only Didi, only our Mamata Banerjee thinks for the common people of Bengal. Let us strengthen her hands this election," he said evoking strong response from the crowd applauding Mamata Didi.
Others would frequently raise slogan 'Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao'.
Some among the crowd make it a point that they interact with journalists.
One such enthusiastic supporter and a woman Shipra Dam said: "Do haazar unish, BJP aur Modi baba finish".
Another woman - Pinu Chowdhury, a school teacher, says: "People of Bengal know the historic importance of this year's polls. We will hand over all 42 parliamentary seats to Mamata Banerjee and let the Bengal tigress conquer Delhi".
Turn towards the roadshow and the star of the occasion again.
Moon Moon Sen goes sentimental and tries to woo crowd using her mother's onetime magical influence of the silver screen.
"Ma sab dekhcheey (My mother is seeing all from above. The blessings of my mom will always remain with me," she says.
Of course - more often she takes the name of Mamata Banerjee - and adds: "Let us all do something for Bengal, like our Didi".
The fact that Moon Moon Sen humbled CPI-M veteran Basudeb Acharia in 2014 in Bankura is certainly in people's mind.
BJP leader Babul Supriyo and others have been generally cautious about Moon Moon Sen's star power.
"But we have our own star Narendra Modi. This election is about Modiji and not Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen films," says 46-year-old Jasbeer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Asansol - whose vehicle was delayed due to the roadshow.
Moon Moon Sen also addressed a meeting at Raniganj - which also falls under Asansol constituency.
For his part - immediately after Moon Moon Sen's name was announced from Asansol on March 12, Mr Supriyo had tweeted: "Mamataji always presents me with SEN-sational opponents".
Well, like in cricket - there can be no final word 'sensation' or otherwise - till the last vote in the EVMs is counted.
No escaping reality: Scars of mis-governance seen in rural Bengal
By Nirendra Dev
Asansol (West Bengal), Apr 20 (UNI) The voters can have different reasons to make their own judgement on leaders and aspiring candidates.
In south Bengal’s politically crucial crucible Asansol, people in many parts of the parliamentary constituency have developed complaints against the saffron party candidate and Union Minister Babul Supriyo.
People at times have grudge against him and also Prime Minister Narendra Modi for farmers’ distress, joblessness and economic policies – that has actually led to choking of cash flow.
But as one travels across rural Bengal and parts of key parliamentary constituencies such as Purulia and Asansol, there was no escaping the reality of West Bengal – once ruled by the Leftists and now under the rule of Mamata Banerjee since 2011.
Along the highways and not far from highways and railway tracks between Burnpur (near Asansol) to Adra (near Purulia) and small hamlets such as Balarampur; there are ‘innumerable shanties’ that people call homes --- most often covered in a haze of brown dust especially as the wind blows amid heat.
“The Bengali voters have liking for Mamata Didi no doubt. But much has changed. Worse, even there is no let up in Goondaism,” says Babla Das in Salanpur, a 16 km drive from Asansol.
“We are not very far from Bengal’s second largest town – Asansol. But you look at our condition,” laments Montu Pal, father of three children and all jobless.
On the other hand, they say Mamata Banerjee is also to be blamed as she had come to power in 2011 making lot of promises. But not much has moved.
In 2014 – Pal says hundreds of poor people like him ‘gambled’ (Zua khellam) and opted for Babul Supriyo but ‘nothing much has changed’.
A 25-year-old teacher in a private school, Poltu Sen seems to diagnose the malady.
“The change that is required in West Bengal is not merely a change in the form of a member of Parliament or even Chief Minister. The state needs a new kind of selfless leadership at various levels – right from Nabanna (Chief Minister’s Office) to the block and village level administration”.
But many poor people in the region say such a dream is only ‘utopian’.
As one talks to the voters at clusters – one thing is clear – the erstwhile Marxist regime and their successor Trinamool dispensation have only left a ‘trail’ of evidence showing how West Bengal has suffered from ‘bad governance’.
The human beings living in such conditions and people rejoicing Ram Navami or waiting for holy Ramazan and Eid, one hint is obvious that the commoners have developed strong survival instinct.
In Sidhabari village – ironically adopted by BJP lawmaker and Minister Babul Supriyo under Adarsh Sansad Gram Yozana scheme, local youths lament absence of jobs.
In areas near Burnpur and Raniganj – leftists supporters among ‘poorer sections’ of people say - as many as three centrally run PSUs were closed after 2014.
Swatantra Sinha (43), a resident of Kumarbazar area in Raniganj says: “Babul Supriyo became Minister and made deputy in-charge of the portfolio of Heavy Industries. But it was all under his stewardship as many as three centrally PSUs were closed in this region. Over 50,000 people lost jobs”.
There are other complaints. Even the Swacch Abhiyan has not yielded expected results and ‘toilets’ are yet to come up in every home in the village.
Predictably, the harsh commentary by the villagers is rejected by BJP workers in Asansol and adjoining areas.
“To achieve anything positive while fighting Mamata Banerjee is a tough proposition. Babul Supriyo is trying that. In Sidhabari village under Salanpur block, there is solar light facility. Our BJP MP is
making things move,” says local BJP worker Dinesh Kumar Sarkar.
According to Sarkar, Trinamool Congress is in power in village panchayat and whenever the BJP leaders have been trying to do something, there were ‘objections and hurdles’.
The people are looking for ‘change’ but remain sceptical. “Why blame Babul Supriyo or Mamata, power failures and open defecation syndrome are national problem,” said one Iqbal Hussain, 55 and describing himself a Mamata Banerjee supporter.
Others too are convinced by efforts being made for change vis-a-vis Ujjwala gas supply or Ayushman Health cards. “All these are okay, but as Minister Babul Supriyo could not give my son job of a driver,” lamented one villager.
As one thinks of return journey to Asansol’s ‘urbane world’ – malls and good roads at places; someone is heard saying – “Babu, we have great tolerance. Our mind and psyche has been wounded beyond repair”.
The political battle is really warming up and locals in many areas caution – bloodshed is possible. Well, West Bengal -- once hailed as ‘Sonar Bangla (golden nest)’ -- will certainly appreciate a healing touch.
CPI-M struggling hard to ‘fight’ it out in Asansol Parl segment
Raniganj (West Bengal), Apr 19 (UNI) The Leftists are easily written off in West Bengal these days. So much is their discomfiture that in their onetime bastion, the communists are no longer considered a major challenger to the state’s ruling outfit Trinamool Congress.
But in Asansol parliamentary constituency, the communists are fighting back with their back on the wall.
They feel their candidate Gouranga Chatterjee, 56, is a man who will fight it out. In the battle from the constituency is Moon Moon Sen, a high profile star of Trinamool Congress at one end, and on the other is the BJP’s Babul Supriyo – also a celebrity and Union Minister.
“Our man will emerge clear winner in Raniganj assembly segment. This historic township and a hub of various kinds of cultures including Dalmiya, Sikhs and Khaitans will give CPI-M a major lead,” says
Raniganj-based Swatantra Sinha.
His views are quickly endorsed by another Left supporter K Biplab, a retired school teacher. “Marxists will prove the prophets of doom wrong. Asansol’s contest will be between BJP and CPI-M and despite the hype of glamour, Moon Moon Sen will come third,” 65-year-old Biplab told UNI.
In fact, CPI-M supporters say both the Raniganj local MLA Ranu Dutta and the local councillor Megharam Bauri are both from the Marxists' camp.
Mr Biplab maintains the main issue here is ‘joblessness’ and how ineffective has been Mamata Banerjee regime and also the BJP-led NDA to provide jobs.
Agreeing with him, Sinha (43), a resident of Kumarbazar area says: “Babul Supriyo became Minister and was made deputy in-charge of the portfolio of Heavy Industries. But it was all under his stewardship as many as three centrally-owned PSUs were closed in this region. Over 50,000
people lost jobs and the BJP has the audacity to seek votes again”.
On the other hand, some other Left supporters and workers in Asansol’s Barakar region – say the Trinamool’s complicity in misgovernance is highlighted by the nexus in corruption.
“They promised Paribartan, but Trinamool leadership has failed. People of Bengal have paid heavily due to growing clout of the promoters’ lobby. The corruption is sole identity of the party led by Mamata Banerjee,” says CPI-M worker Ajay Talukdar.
Over the years – since 2011 – it is ironical that the Trinamool Congress leaders have made themselves rich by their unholy dealings with the contractors.
But can the communists really play game changer in this year’s elections?
The BJP workers in Asansol speak vaguely with their refrain being – “for us the contest is real and the target is we need to win”.
The BJP is not focused on who among the rivals – the CPI(M) and the Trinamool – will do well.
But Munna Thakur, Trinamool Congress general secretary of Ward 49 region in Asansol, says: “We do not mind the CPI-M doing well. In electoral sense, Babul Supriyo in 2014 had managed a large chunk of Left votes. So, if there is increase in the CPI-M vote share; obviously the short fall will be in the BJP’s kitty”.
The CPI-M sources may ‘accept’ the merits in Trinamool argument or not; but many among their cadres say Mamata Banerjee has fielded ‘only a weak candidate’ in the form of Moon Moon Sen.
“There are talks about some dealings between Babul Supriyo and Mamata Banerjee. But we the communists will prove all their calculations wrong,” says one of them.
Such remarks have been already dismissed as ‘laughable’ by Mr Supriyo and his party colleagues. “I once met Mamata Banerjee and I did it in open,” said Mr Supriyo and claimed that during his meeting while the media has hyped only about ‘eating’ Jhalmoori ( a local snack) – the fact of the matter is “I had discussed four major projects in talks with the Chief Minister that day”.
The anti-BJP forces – for their part are also sceptical of what Babul Supriyo has tried to say vis-s-vis meeting with Mamata Banerjee.
The saffron party, the rivals say - is trying its old vote bank strategies, playing up the communal divide and working on ‘consolidation’ of the votes, but today the party stands exposed before the people.
Trinamool’s defeat is certain, only debate left is ‘who will win’: CPI-M
Purulia (West Bengal), Apr 21 : The defeat of Trinamool Congress in politically sensitive Purulia parliamentary segment in West Bengal is ‘certain’ and the pro-communist supporters will play a decisive role in it, a senior CPI-M leader has said here.
However, the general secretary of Purulia unit of CPI-M, Niloy Mukherjee said, “The voters will finally take the decision who can win and replace sitting Trinamool MP Mriganka Mahato. But Trinamool defeat is certain in Purulia”.
In an interview with the visiting UNI journalist here, the senior Marxist leader said: “There is unique similarity between Trinamool Congress regime in West Bengal and the Modi government in the centre. Even in economic policy, there is uniqueness. Farmers are suffering both in Bengal and in the rest of India”.
In this context, he said the so called pro-farmers decisions of both the regimes have also failed. “Essentially both the initiatives are just lip service. The Modi government’s Kisan scheme and Mamata Banerjee’s Krishak Bandhu are nothing in terms of mitigating the problems of the farmers”.
He also said the Left parties have made it an issue in West Bengal and also in Purulia to highlight the fact that between 2014 and 2017 – there have been at least 28 per cent increase in communal violence in the country.
“This is definitely a serious issue. Communal tensions have led to deaths of about 400 people in different locations during last five years and perhaps over 9000 people were injured,” he said.
Mr Mukherjee also said “Time and again it has been proved that only communists will stand by the police”.
Purulia is heading for a fierce four-cornered contest even as general observation is essentially that the fight is between Trinamool Congress and BJP’s Jyotirmoy Mahto.
In 2014, Trinamool nominee Mriganka Mahato had won the seat by defeating Narhari Mahato of All India Forward Bloc by bagging 38.9 per cent of votes.
In this year’s contest, the Left parties have put All India Forward Bloc candidate Brij Singh Mahato while Congress nominee is Nepal Mahato, a sitting legislator from Baghmundi.
The political scene in Purulia is, however, quite complex in more ways than one.
In 2014, the Trinamool wrested the seat but in 2016 assembly election in Purulia after Left and Congress worked out an alliance, the legislature seat was won by Congress.
But in 2018 panchayat polls, the BJP sprang a surprise and there have been significant improvement in BJP’s vote share.
A large number of citizens in various parts of the city say BJP has an advantage for Lok Sabha polls.
Pandit Rajesh Tiwari of Dorji Para in Purulia says, “As far as Lok Sabha polls are concerned, there is pro-Modi wave. People have decided to make Modiji Prime Minister again. Trinamool will understand this once results are out”.
A politically sensitive citizen Tuton Mahato says he has been a Congress supporter all along. “But this time, I feel BJP should win. A large number of Congress workers and supporters may shift allegiance to the saffron party and of course, Modi’s hardliner nationalist image is a factor,” he says.
However, one former teacher Amalendu Mukherjee says the Trinamool Congress will retain the seat.
BJP sources have said here that the poll related violence is not stopping in Purulia region in particular as wrongdoers feel they are 'well shielded'.
The victim's body was found hanging from a tree under mysterious circumstances.
Sources say there is no stop to targeting of BJP and VHP workers in Purulia region and the tussle only intensified further after BJP put up a good show in Purulia in last year's panchayat elections.
Two prominent BJP workers Trilochan Mahto and Dulal kumar were kidnapped and killed last year.
Two months back, one VHP worker was killed.
Locals say Sishupal went missing on Wednesday and only on Thursday morning his body was found hanging on the outskirts of Senabona village.
In Kolkata Trinamool leader Mukul Roy said full fledged jungle raj prevailed in Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal and it was high time people realise this and punish Trinamool Congress candidates during polls in Purulia and the rest of the state.
Local Trinamool leaders have denied their party's involvement in the crime and murder of Sishupal.
Police probe will bring out the truth, Amalendu Mukherjee, a local party leader said here.
According to Satyanan Basu, BJP Bengal general secretary, the continuous murders of BJP workers suggest there is something seriously wrong and hence there should be CBI probe.
Local BJP leader Jhantu Ray said the CBI probe is a must as there people have lost faith in state police.
Assembly segmentwise, Purulia assembly seat in 2016 was won by Sudip Kumar Mukherjee of Congress and Nepal Mahato from Baghmundi – the remaining four assembly seats Manbazar, Joypur, Balarampur and Para were won by Trinamool Congress. Hence, without doubt BJP faces an uphill task and all eyes will be on how much damage to Trinamool voteshare can be done by the Congress or Forward Bloc.
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