West Bengal Assembly Election

Stage set for the grand show in Cooch Behar

The stage is ready for the final performance of the high

drama. Leaders of different political parties are now busy in repairing the loopholes that were somehow ignored during their electioneering in the past days. They are instructing their activists and supporters what tactics to be practiced on the poll day till end of polling. The administration and the police authorities are also very busy as they are entrusted to conduct the grand show a faultless one. Otherwise, the party leaders and also the EC officials may hold them responsible for any breach of peace and fair polling.

In Cooch Behar district, there are nine Assembly segments in five sub-divisions. These are Mekhliganj, Mathabhanga, Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar Uttar, Cooch Behar Dakshin, Dinhata, Sitai, Natabari and Tufanganj. Out of nine seats the Trinamul Congress and the Congress snatched two seats – Dinhata and Siati – in the 2006 election. This time the Left Front took it a challenge to regain the lost seats.

Meanwhile, the Trinamul Congress gave away its lone winning seat (Dinhata) to the NCP and expelled its sitting MLA Mr Ashok Mandal. The Congress MLA from Sitai Dr Fazle Haque appeared at Dinhata to contest as an independent candidate. His party too expelled him. Expulsion of two opposition MLAs added extra dimension to the political scenario. The Trinamul Congress also expelled its Mekhliganj block unit president Mr Sunil Ray as he turned rebel and fielded himself as an independent candidate against the official Congress candidate Mr Jayanta Ray.

On the otherhand, the CPI-M and the Forward Bloc are fighting to retain their seats and regain the lost two seats. Among the heavyweight candidates of the LF there are two ministers - Mr Ananta Ray (CPI-M) and Mr Paresh Adhikary (FB), Mr Udayan Guha (FB) and Mr Tamser Ali (CPI-M). 

BJP bid to fish in disturbed water

Political scenario in Cooch Behar district is very disturbed. There is infighting inside the Trinamul Congress and also inside the Congress. A large section of Trinamul Congress activists is not supporting the Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance candidate at Dinhata and Mekhliganj. The Congress is also suffering from similar situation. A section of the Congress supporters came out to support the rebel Trinamul candidate at Mekhliganj and the rebel Congress candidate at Dinhata. The difference between the district Youth Congress leadership and the official lobby of the district Congress is well known to all.

The BJP is trying hard to fish in the disturbed political water. They brought heavyweight leaders to campaign in Cooch Behar district. Among the leaders there were Gujarat chief minister Mr Narendra Modi, noted film actress Ms Hema Malini, Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr Shahnawas Hossain and state BJP president Mr Rahul Sinha. Promising to build up a clean government and corruption-free administration the BJP is campaigning against the CPI-M led Left Front and the proponents of the 'change'. According to the BJP leaders the CPI-M and the Trinamul Congress are similar in every respect like corruption and hooliganism. Only the BJP can present a better alternative in the state, they argued.   

Local political observers felt that the honeymoon between the BJP and the Trinamul Congress at different panchayat bodies has ended up at Tufanganj. The BJP is now trying to take revenge by spearheading sharp attacks on the Trinamul Congress. Their actual aim is to ensure defeat of the Trinamul Congress candidates.