Lalgarh: The BJP is making its presence felt in this once Maoist hotbed despite a dominant presence of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), which routed the Left Front promising ‘poriborton’ (change).
Several locals, who were among the thousands that joined a movement in 2008 to express their angst with the then CPI(M) government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, stated they sense another change in this part of West Bengal.
TMC flags dot ‘haats’ (local markets) and villages, and its signature blue can be seen on walls of several establishments, even schools and security outposts here. But at the bustling tea stalls and markets here, the discussion is about the challenge the TMC faces from the BJP in this erstwhile CPI(M) stronghold.
The BJP making inroads into Lalgarh and its surrounding areas has not gone unnoticed by the TMC chief, who completely overhauled the grassroot-level leadership before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in an attempt to earn the goodwill of the people.
“It came as a shock to us to see the BJP gain so much traction in the (Jhargram) district after the panchayat polls last year. It had not done any work in the area…We banked on the development that the TMC has brought in since 2011,” Jyoti Prasad Mahato, a local TMC leader, said. In Jhargram district, the TMC lost 28 gram panchayats out of 79.
Part of the Jhargram Lok Sabha constituency and district, it was in 2008 that this dusty corner of Bengal, around 170 km from Kolkata, became the hotbed for the ultras and later, a centre point of left wing extremism, which after continuous crackdown by security forces met a natural death in 2011 – the year the TMC came to power
“Schemes announced by the Centre haven’t reached us and those announced by the state are only benefitting people who hobnob with the TMC. Why shouldn’t we demand change, now that there is an alternative,””said Sushma Mahato, as she rolled tendu leaves into bidis in front of her mud hut.
In 2014, TMC’s Uma Soren had wrested Jhargram from Pulin Bihari Baske of the CPI(M), ending the Left party’s 42-year domination in the constituency. This time the TMC has pitted Birbha Soren against CPI(M)’s Deblina Hembram and BJP’s Kunar Hembram.
While Deblina is known for her fiery speeches, Kunar, his party people, say will win the polls as there is an anti-Mamata wave and people want change.
However, some changes cannot go unnoticed. Dirt and mud roads, which security forces once treaded cautiously fearing buried IEDs, have now been paved with asphalt and infrastructure development in Binpur-1 block, under which Lalgarh falls, is on at full pace.
The Banerjee-led government has also delivered around 25,000 cycles under the Sabuj Sathi scheme, built about 30 healthcare centres and about 1,300 self help groups have come up in block.
“The facelift that you see around here are is just that – an outer shell. What will we do with them if we don’t have jobs and food to eat?” asked Sushma.
It was Banerjee’s promise of change that brought her party to power here as people yearned for jobs, food, water, electricity and connectivity. But, two Assembly and one Lok Sabha elections since TMC swept into power, another resident said there seems to be a ‘strong feeling of mistrust between the TMC and the people here’.
“Nothing has reached us. People have been made civic volunteers, but only those connected with the ruling party have got benefits. The local TMC leaders are so corrupt that they take money from us to even deliver basic benefits,” another resident said.
Each police station in the area – Lalghar, Binpur, Belpahari and Goaltorh has more than 200 ‘civic volunteers’. “These men are not to help us, but to spy on us. Who we are speaking with, what are we telling them, who is coming to campaign here, what are they promising us. It’s like living under constant watch. They look out for everything even for Maoist resurgence,” said a villager.
Rani Mahato rued water comes here for an hour in the morning and in the evening, people have to wait for it. “It depends on the whims and fancies of the man who releases the water. We are not unhappy with Didi (as Banerjee is popularly known), but her man here needs to be taught a lesson,” she asserted.
No doubt tough times loom ahead for the TMC