ELECTION

Bid to bring back voters from outer states

COOCH BEHAR, March 26: As the Lok Sabha election closes by the political parties are becoming anxious about the fate of their candidates.

About 3-lakh voters of Cooch Behar district stay at outer provinces. They had to go out to seek jobs. Except the family members their absence never felt by others (read political leaders). But, as their votes are precious the leaders are now chalking out plans to bring back them, not to engage in new jobs but to obtain their votes. The deserters are engaged in Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Bihar. They work in brickfields and other factories to earn wages.

The BJP is preparing a list of persons who left Cooch Behar in the past years. District BJP president Mr Nityananda Munsi said they started contacting their supporters in outer provinces asking them to come back for the election.

President of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party Mr Ashutosh Barma claimed that many of their supporters had to leave the district as they failed to get jobs here. "We are trying to make contacts with them over mobile phones because their presence is necessary", he said.

District Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabi Ghosh said in the 13-lakh voters more than 3-lakh left the district during the Left Front regime. The ruling Left Front government failed to offer suitable jobs to the large number of people especially of rural areas. "We are sending them postcards to come back to vote against the Left Front candidate. We believe they will return to teach the LF a lesson", Mr Ghosh said.

The constituent parties of the Left Front, especially the CPI-M and the Forward Bloc, are also preparing lists of persons who left the district to seek jobs. District Forward Bloc secretary Mr Udayan Guha said they have no need to send postcards like the Trinamul Congress. "We maintain an office in Delhi to keep contact with the sojourners from Cooch Behar to take care of them. Efforts will be taken to bring back them prior to the election", Mr Guha said.