WB ASSEMBLY ELECTION

A segment free from Trinamul's intra-party squabbles

Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district is the rare one Assembly segment where all sections of the Trinamul Congress leaders and followers are united.

The local Trinamul leaders and activists had to fight to get a local candidate and they won. They had to organise a stir to get Mr Binay Krishna Barman as their candidate and they won. Now it is up to the Trinamul men to get the candidate come out victorious. They believe Mr Barman would be able to defeat the CPI-M candidate cum state forest minister Mr Ananta Ray, who won from Mathabhanga in 2006.

Mr Binay Krishna Barman contested against Mr Ananta Ray in the previous election. Mr Ray was not a minister then. Now, Mr Barman feels that it will be a matter of pleasure to defeat a Left Front minister. He is working hard to get the thing done.

The Trinamul candidate said, "In the 2009 Lok Sabha election in Cooch Behar the Trinamul Congress was in advanced position by about 1400 votes at Mathabhanga segment. After that election the organisational strength of our party turned stronger and many Left Front supporters flooded into our party. Now, it is very much possible that the CPI-M may wipe out from here and we are to win the seat."

Mr Barman alleged that after winning from Mathabhanga Mr Ananta Ray seldom visited this constituency in the past four years. He started coming to this area again after getting signal from his party about his candidature, he said.

But, Mr Ray brought approvals for two colleges to be set up at Ghoksadanga and Nishiganj. Will not it a plus point for him to woo the voters? Mr Barman was not found ready to agree with it. He said the minister brought NOCs only, but it is not clear where the colleges would be build up, from where the furniture and other materials come and how the required funds would be collected. It is nothing but a poll stunt, the Trinamul leader said. Instead, "I shall give emphasis on better irrigation facilities, covered market areas for growers and agriculture based industries after getting elected from Mathabhanga", he promised.