Move over Mamata, the rebels have returned | |||
| http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061204/asp/frontpage/story_7088776.asp ASHIS CHAKRABARTI | |||
| Scene I: College street, Calcutta. A couple of young men and women sprint through the back alleys, throw crude bombs at policemen standing guard behind sandbag barricades and melt into the smoke cover from the explosions. The “guerrilla action” has the police and the paramilitary reacting with teargas shells, lathis and firing in the air. Scene II: Gopiballavpur, Midnapore. The villagers look quizzically, even suspiciously at the young men, who are obviously from far-off Calcutta, from well-off families and are educated. They are told the outsiders are there to rehearse an uprising, of course with some local help because they know little of life in the villages. That was in the late sixties and the early seventies, when the Naxalite movement in Bengal caught the fancy of city-bred young people who wanted to change things. They were inspired by Mao Zedong’s revolutionary ideology, by Charu Mazumdar’s line of “annihilation of the class enemy” and, above all, by their own frustration with what they saw all around them. Scene III: Singur, Hooghly, December 2006. They arrive from Calcutta by local trains and drift into the villages of Bajemelia and Berabari in twos and threes after nightfall, huddle in a hut and discuss the plan of action with some local residents but generally keep away from the villagers. Then, on Action Day, they attack the police with much the same crude bombs their compatriots of another generation used in College Street. A group of villagers join the charge of the light brigade. In a throwback to 1967-70, the policemen burst tear-gas shells and use lathis to chase the protesters away. The next scene is set on AJC Bose Road in Calcutta today, where a small Maoist group smashes the glass panes of a Tata Motors dealer’s showroom, pastes some posters outside the office protesting against the Tata group’s small-car project in Singur and quickly melts into the passing traffic. The operation lasts barely two minutes. The first major confrontation between the government and anti-car protesters in Singur caught almost everybody by surprise. The government and the police may have anticipated trouble at some stage. But it clearly had no clue to the Naxalite/Maoist action plan in Singur. The government’s worries centred around Mamata Banerjee and her party, especially after the violence in the Assembly. But, when it happened, the first major violence in Singur caught even Mamata and the Trinamul Congress completely by surprise. The result was a confused reaction by almost everyone, including the media. The first response, therefore, was to the police action — by not only Mamata but also the CPM’s partners in the Left Front. The CPM understandably sought to defend the police action but did not seem to have realised the full political import of what had actually happened. It blamed the violence on “outsiders” all right, but neither the CPM nor Mamata quite realised that the incident marked a new political development — the return of Naxalism. There were a few other parties involved in the day’s incident, but their action was clearly of the Naxalite variety. Thus, while the police act-ion was highlighted, the poli-tical import of the Naxalite charge in Singur was not immediately understood by even the media, including The Telegraph. It was not adequately understood that the “outsiders” in Singur had given the campaign a dramatically new turn. Slowly, the realisation began to sink in. If there were any doubts, the attack on the car showroom must have removed them. This brand of Naxalism seems to be very different from the Maoism that has struck roots in parts of Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia, mostly among tribal people. This one appears to be closer in spirit and form to the movement that thrived and died on College Street in 1967-70. Once again, Singur is a call to revolt for some city-bred youths who do not like the way things are. To them, the land acquisition in Singur is only a symbol of the injustice they want to fight. And, they have no faith in Mamata’s ability to fight it, because they suspect her of faking a pro-farmer stance in order to settle scores with the CPM. In fact, they have no faith in any constitutional means of redress of their grievances and hence the return to the old ways. Now that there is a better understanding of the incident, both Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Mamata may have to rethink and rework their strategies over Singur. Surely, Mamata would not like the Naxalites to usurp the initiative from her. More important, she may be worried that a Naxalite takeover of the campaign would be the end of it. She cannot have forgotten the lessons of Keshpur in 1998-2000, where she took the help of some fake Maoists to fight the CPM. After small initial victories, her campaign — and her party — was wiped off the area. That she is back to a conventional, acceptable form of political protest such as hunger strike may be a reaction to the Naxalite threat to her campaign. For Bhattacharjee, the Naxalite twist to the Singur tale has an obvious message — he is now freer to tackle it as a law and order problem. Even if that remains a major challenge, it may help the government deflect attention from the issue of land acquisition or the land-versus-industry question.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Maoist Scare: Reports from The Telegraph, December 2006
Monday, May 26, 2008
Villagers torch a tower near the Tata Motors factory before Mamata's rally in Singur
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205467
Singur tower torched
SINGUR: May 25: Some farmers burnt down a watchtower (photograph right) outside the boundary wall of the Tata Motors’ small car project this afternoon, triggering a strong reaction from policemen who lobbed tear gas shells to quell the mob. Earlier, agitating farmers threw stones at policemen, who were guarding the boundary wall near Bajemelia New Ujjwal Sangha, injuring a constable. The incidents took place a few hours before Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee, arrived in Singur to celebrate her party's unprecedented victory here. Senior Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee (SKJRC) members said, some overenthusiastic local residents set the watch tower on fire under the influence of alcohol and it had nothing to do with the SKJRC. Security in the area was strengthened following the incidents. Work on the project, however, was not affected. A senior district police officer said, additional force has been deployed in the area to thwart further attacks on the boundary walls. Policemen have been deployed around the watch towers which were constructed to keep an eye on neighbouring villages.Later, addressing a rally, Miss Banerjee urged her party cadres to show restraint and not to react to violence “being unleashed by the CPI-M”. She, however, made it clear once again that her party wouldn't compromise with the legitimate demand of the farmers whose agricultural plots were acquired forcefully. She said: “Farmers of Singur will continue with the movement till they get back their plots.” n SNS
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080526/jsp/bengal/story_9321912.jsp
Singur sena attacks Tata wall - Trinamul chief dubs assault on car plant site stray incident, appeals for restraint | ||
| OUR CORRESPONDENT | ||
Singur, May 25: Trinamul Congress supporters attacked police guarding the Tata Motors plant site here today and hurled burning bundles of cloth at two watchtowers inside the boundary wall, setting them ablaze. The guards fired 10 tear gas shells to disperse them. “Several constables were injured by brickbats hurled at them. One of the constables has a cracked skull. But we did not allow the mob to damage the boundary wall, which was their aim,” Hooghly superintendent of police Rajeev Mishra said. The attack, with brooms, sticks and burning pieces of cloth, was launched hours before Mamata Banerjee arrived here to address a rally on the second anniversary of the launch of the Trinamul Congress-led Save Farmland Committee’s movement against land acquisition. Exactly two years ago, around 1,000 villagers had stopped a Tata Motors team that had driven to Bajemelia for a survey of the land. The mob had surrounded the car for 40 minutes and shouted slogans saying they would give blood rather than their land. Some villagers of Bosepukur said they had planned the attack to observe the anniversary. At 12.30pm, some 200 people, including women, charged towards the wall. As policemen came out of small openings in the wall and took position in front, the villagers started pelting them with brickbats. “We still feel that the land where the factory is coming up is ours. We will break the wall any day,” thundered a broom-wielding Malati Malik of Bosepukur. After the police burst the first few tear gas shells, some villagers hurled the burning bundles of cloth on the tarpaulin sheds of the watchtowers. “The tarpaulin sheet on one of the towers was burnt. It flew to the ground, where we poured buckets of water to douse the fire. Buckets of water were also taken up the second watchtower and the flames doused,” a police officer said. After the villagers set fire to the watchtowers, the police fired more tear gas shells and the villagers retreated to a safe distance. In her rally at Kamarkundu station, Mamata, mellower after the rural polls, called the attack a “stray” incident. “It was carried out by a small section of villagers. However, the police should have tried to pacify the mob instead of firing tear gas shells at them,” she said. |
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080526/jsp/bengal/story_9321919.jsp
Mamata asks for 400 acres | ||
| OUR CORRESPONDENT | ||
Kamarkundu, May 25: A day after flexing muscles over the government’s acquisition of farmland for industry, an unusually soft Mamata Banerjee appealed to the Tatas with “folded hands” to return 400 acres taken over from “unwilling landowners” for the car plant in Singur. “I am appealing to the Tatas with folded hands to set up their car plant on 600 acres and return another 400 acres to the unwilling farmers. I hope good sense prevails,” Mamata told a rally outside Kamarkundu station, about 55km from Calcutta, this afternoon. Truckloads of people, including many housewives, had been brought over from neighbouring Howrah and Nadia for Mamata’s first public meeting after her party’s rural poll success in parts of south Bengal. “We will have to be more restrained and patient. A sustained movement will help us reach our goal,” the Trinamul Congress chief told the rally to mark the second anniversary of the protest against the Tata Motors project in Singur. She told the gathering to “silently” carry on the movement against “forcible” land acquisition. Trinamul sources said Mamata’s change of mind was prompted by the realisation that the rollout of the Nano from Singur in a few months had become inevitable. “As a face-saving device, Didi will keep harping on the return of 400 acres. This is her political compulsion,” said a Singur Trinamul leader. Mamata today almost disowned those who marched to the Tata project site in the afternoon and tried to torch two watchtowers. “This was a stray incident and our supporters had nothing to do with it,” she said. Becharam Manna, a con-vener of the Trinamul-led Sa- ve Farmland Committee, said: “Instead of pulling down the Tata Motors wall, we will have to build a sustained movement to get back the 400 acres from the Tatas.” Manna has been elected to the Singur panchayat samiti, which Trinamul wrested from the CPM in the rural polls. | ||
 |
No question of returning land: CPM
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, May 25: Mr Jyoti Basu, veteran CPI-M leader today made it clear the state government is in no mood to return 400 acres of the land for the Tata small car unit to farmers as demanded by Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee. He said this after attending the party's state committee meeting on the recent poll debacle. He reiterated what Mr Nirupam Sen, state industry minister said, “there is no roll back in the state's industrialisation policy''.
Mr Kshiti Goswami, state _PWD minister and RSP senior leader today said the state government should reconsider the industrialisation policy as the poll results show the disapproval of the voters against the state government's acquisition of farmland.
Mr Basu said, "There is no question of returning 400 acres of land, then how will the automobile industry come up? We need industry and if the Opposition is try to stall the work by sabotage then people across the state will realise the Opposition does not want development, they are basically opportunists and have defeated our candidates by forming a grand alliance.''He said dialogues on compensation could be resumed.
Mr Subhas Chakroborty, state transport minister, said the poll result would not stall the industrialisation process but “we have to convey this to people''.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Violence being perpetrated by both parties in Nandigram post-elections
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080524/jsp/bengal/story_9314672.jsp
Trinamul targets CPM ‘tormentor’ in Nandi Man killed on way to work
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Nandigram, May 23: A CPM supporter accused of leading attacks on Opposition houses was beaten and hacked to de- ath by nearly 100 triumphant Trinamul Congress supporters in a Nandigram village this morning.
Sheikh Khalek Mullick, 27, had set off for his workplace in Haldia around 8am.
“Like other days, he was going on a cycle to the Kendamari ferry ghat, from where he took the boat to Haldia,” said his cousin Shantu, 25.
When he had travelled 3km to Hajrakata, the Trinamul supporters attacked him.
“They first thrashed him and then hacked him. The ve- ins above his heels were severed,” said Shantu.
According to witnesses, about 20 Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee supporters had surrounded Khalek initi-ally but the number swelled in no time as many women and other villagers joined them.
CPM supporters called police. They reached around 9am and took an unconscious Khalek to the block hospital. Khalek was then referred to the district hospital in Tamluk, where he died after admission.
This is the first death in clashes in Nandigram, about 165km from Calcutta, since the CPM’s armed recapture of the area last November.
Khalek, a resident of Garchakraberia, worked as a security guard at a private company in Haldia.
The villagers were “angry” with him, said Abu Taher, a newly elected Trinamul panchayat samiti member.
“He had led CPM cadres to Jadubarichar village on Wednesday. They looted houses of our supporters and beat them up. The villagers saw Khalek today and could not keep their calm,” said Taher, also a Pratirodh Committee convener.
He also alleged that Khalek was armed.
The police recovered a pipe gun from the spot, but could not confirm if it belonged to Khalek.
Several CPM leaders, including local committee secretary Sheikh Shahidullah, reached Hajrakata around the time the police and the CRPF made it there. Nearly 500 Pratirodh Committee supporters surrounded them and set Shahidullah’s motorcycle on fire.
The police looked on and Khalek’s transfer to hospital got delayed.
Pratirodh Committee supporters also went on the rampage at Dakshin Kanchannagar village, a kilometre away, and ransacked and looted about a dozen houses belonging to CPM supporters. Two CPM supporters were beaten up and had to be admitted to the Reyapara block hospital.
“We have decided to organise all-party peace meetings in Nandigram police station and at the village level,” said East Midnapore superintendent of police S.S. Panda.
An all-party meeting was held at the police station this evening.
Trinamul, CPM and SUCI leaders attended but not anyone from the Congress.
That the tables had turned on the CPM became apparent when party district secretariat member Ashok Guria accused Trinamul of “unleashing a reign of terror” in the area.
The party called a 12-hour bandh in Nandigram blocks I and II on Monday in protest against the murder of Khalek.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080524/jsp/bengal/story_9314673.jsp
Lady kicked, baby at riskOUR CORRESPONDENT
Burdwan, May 23: Alleged CPM supporters stormed the house of a Trinamul Congress village panchayat candidate today and beat him, his pregnant wife and mother.
Rakhi Majhi, 35, who is four months pregnant, was shoved to the ground and kicked in the stomach at Belsar village in Burdwan’s Raina. She runs the risk of losing her child.
Trinamul candidate Pareshnath Majhi’s fault was that he had demanded a recounting in writing from the district magistrate after he lost the Hijalna seat to the CPM.
A gynaecologist at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, where Rakhi has been admitted, said: “We are desperately trying to save the baby.”
Dr A. Ghosh, however, added: “We are very worried, the patient has injuries in her lower abdomen.”
Pareshnath and his mother Sandhya, 60, have also been hospitalised.
Rakhi said she was busy in chores around 8am when nine persons, on three motorcycles, stopped in front of her house, about 120km from Calcutta. “I knew four of them. They called my husband.”
“As soon he came out, they hurled abuses at him, dragged him towards the gate and started beating him up. I rushed to stop them but they threw me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach. When my mother-in-law jumped to my rescue, they pushed her hard. She fell and became unconscious.”
District Trinamul vice-president Susanta Ghosh has lodged a complaint with district superintendent of police Peeyush Pandey.
“We have detained three persons,” Pandey said.
Amirul Islam, who had worked as an election agent for a Congress candidate, was beaten up at Belgram village in Ketugram last night. “Ketugram police refused to accept my complaint,” said Amirul, who has also been admitted to the medical college hospital.
In Nadia, Trinamul supporter Satyajit Bala, 40, was beaten up and hacked in Chapra, allegedly because he had re- fused to work for the CPM during the elections.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Singur employment bluff called
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205108
KOLKATA, May 22: Though the state government has justified the acquisition of fertile farm land in Singur by stating that the Tata Motors’ small car factory will provide both direct and indirect employment, the state directorate of employment had said that Tata Motors Limited (TML) has not notified any vacancy to any of the employment exchanges in Hooghly district so far. The information from the state labour department made it official that no large-scale direct employment would be provided in the small car factory in Singur. While replying to questions under the Right To Information Act submitted by Mr Salil Kapat, convener of Indian Society for the Fundamental and Human Rights, the deputy director of employment of state labour department, stated: "As is revealed from the deputy director of employment, Hooghly, Tata Motors Limited has not notified vacany/vacancies to any of the employment exchanges in Hooghly district."
Mr Kapat had asked whether TML ever intimated to the state labour department as to how they would recruit prospective employees for their factory at Singur and whether Tata Motors ever approached any of the employment exchanges for personnel recruitment for their proposed small car factory. However, the reply sent to Mr Kapat on 16 May revealed that Tata Motors is yet to approach the local employment exchanges for recruiting local residents for its Singur factory.
Earlier, Mr Nirupam Sen, state commerce and industries minister, had claimed that all 180 students from the land-loser families in Singur had undergone training in various Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and were absorbed in either the Pune factory of Tata Motors or other subsidiaries of the group. The minister also said some had even refused a job.
Though Mr Sen, to be fair, had never promised large-scale recruitment for the car factory, the letter from the labour department has made it official that apart from the few students from land-loser families who have undergone training in the ITIs, there is little hope for common or garden variety of residents of Singur as far as gainful employment at the TML factory is concerned. n Pranesh Sarkar
See Also:
Nandigram: Violence after Declaration of Poll Results
Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/23/stories/2008052359981300.htm
Rivals clash again in Nandigram
Special Correspondent
| 5 injured, security tightened |
Biman Bose appeals for peace
Bodies of two missing persons found at Domkul
Kolkata: Fresh violence erupted at Nandigram in West Bengal’s Purbo Medinipur district on Thursday, a day after the Trinamool Congress’s resounding victory in the panchayat elections in the area.
Supporters of the Trinamool and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) clashed and hurled bombs at each other at Satengabari and Sonachura, according to reports reaching here. Five persons were injured.
Leaders of the parties blamed supporters of the rival groups for the trouble. Security has been strengthened in the affected areas.
Mamata’s chargeTrinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, who described her party’s victory in Nandigram as a verdict against the “CPI(M)’s reign of terror” there, held the CPI(M) responsible for the fresh spurt of violence. “They [CPI(M) supporters] have started their terror tactics again, even after suffering reverses in the panchayat elections.”
Biman Bose, Left Front Committee chairman, appealed to all constituents of the Front and the Opposition to maintain the peace.
Meanwhile, the bodies of two persons, stated to be CPI(M) supporters, were found at Domkul in Murshidabad district, the scene of violence during the May 18 elections.
The two had been reported missing since Wednesday evening, after the zilla parishad election results were announced. They were killed after having been abducted by political rivals, said Animal Resources Minister Anisur Rahaman, who hails from the district.
He apprised Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of the developments in Murshidabad and sought additional security forces there.
On the polls in Murshidabad district, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi alleged that the local administration was partisan in the run-up to and during the elections.
Thaindian News
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/clashes-erupt-in-nandigram-after-poll-results_10051293.html
Clashes erupt in Nandigram after poll results
May 21st, 2008Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) Clashes were reported from Nandigram in East Midnapore district of West Bengal Wednesday evening, after results of the panchayat (village council) polls were declared. Sources said, “The activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Trinamool Congress hurled crude bombs at each other in the trouble-prone areas of Garchakraberia, Sonachura and Adhikaripara in Nandigram. No one was injured.”
East Midnapore district, where Nandigram is located, jolted the CPI-M-led Left Front, which lost the zilla parishad - the top tier of the state’s panchayat system - to the Trinamool Congress after an uninterrupted reign of 30 years since 1978.
However, West Bengal Inspector General (law and order) Raj Kanojia told IANS: “I have received no reports of violence. The counting of votes is over peacefully across all the districts.”
The StatesmanCPM-BUPC clashes continue in Nandigram
Nandigramhttp://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205134
Statesman News Service
TAMLUK, May 22: Clashes continued unabated in Nandigram between supporters of the CPI-M and the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) members, leaving at least 17 persons injured since since last night. Among the injured, seven persons belong to the CPI-M while the rest belong to the BUPC.
The injured CPI-M supporters have been admitted to the Tamluk district hospital and Reyapara hospital while the BUPC activists have been admitted to the Nandigram block hospital.
Trouble broke out when the CPI-M workers hurled a bomb towards BUPC supporters at Sonachura village this morning. The BUPC workers also hurled bombs at their CPI-M adversaries in retaliation.
According to the police, attacks and counter attacks were reported from various areas including Sonachura, Bhimkata, Bhekutia, Daudpur, Dinabandhupur, Bhangabera, Gokulnagar, Balarampur and Satengabari. Leaders of bothy the parties alleged that their opponents had ransacked many houses and assaulted party workers.
Meanwhile, CPI-M workers had blocked different roads with logs and disrupted traffic movement at Sutarmore, Jadubani and other areas in Nandigram for a few hours but they lifted the blockades when the CRPF jawans patrolling the areas intervened.
Panchayat Polls Result (II)
The Statesman
PANCHAYAT the PARTY POOPER
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205107StatesmanStatesman News Service
KOLKATA, May 22: The CPI-M's domination of rural Bengal has been shaken far too deeply than what became apparent yesterday as results of the remaining two-tiers of the panchayati raj system ~ the Panchayat Samities (PS) and the Gram Panchayats (GP) ~ unfolded throughout the day today.
If yesterday's gloomy outcome of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) seats had a silver lining for the Marxists, who managed to retain 13 of the 17 districts after losing out two crucial ZPs to the Trinamul Congress, the results of the samitis during the day revealed the CPI-M's grip over the rural population has alarmingly loosened with the Trinamul and other Opposition parties notching up 137 against the LF's tally of 187.
The LF is down by 30 per cent compared to 2003 when it won 285 samities, while the Trinamul scored the maximum gain at the cost of the CPI-M largely increasingly its tally of a meagre 12 samities in the 2003 poll. In the ZPs the LF suffered a loss of 17.6 per cent seats compared to what it had won the last time.
Far worse appears to be in store for the CPI-M as the results of the 41,516 Gram Panchayat seats trickle in. Already, the Trinamul and the Congress surged far ahead of the LF in the Gram Panchayats of North 24-Parganas, Nadia and Howrah. The cracks in the three traditional red bastions are so frightening that the Trinamul and the Congress accounted for 129 GPs against the LF's 46 in Nadia which has a total 187 GPs, while in North 24-Parganas, the Trinamul bagged 141 GPs against the LF's 42 out of a total of 200. The LF's drubbing in the Howrah GP polls is equally sensational with the Opposition winning 105 GPs against the LF's 46 with six others showing tie.
The LF, of course, swept the polls in Birbhum where it won 102 GPs against the Trinamul's tally of 57 out of a total 167 GPs. Results show tie in three GPs and hung in five.
As the extent of the CPI-M's loss of control of the rural vote bank became clearer by every hour, the Marxist leadership was at its wit's end. The CPI-M state secretary, Mr Biman Bose, lost his cool and left the Press conference in a huff without answering media query on the party's unforeseen loss of the samitis. “I have already told you we need to examine the results in detail before we can reach any conclusion. I won't answer meaningless questions,” he said and stomped out. On the other hand, Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Banerjee was ecstatic, though she was cautious in explaining the significance of her party's victory.
“We have won just two Zilla Parishads. But the people are voting for us in a much bigger way in the samities and GPs. Even where we have lost in the ZPs we would have the controlling powers there as we are gaining more samitis than the CPI-M and its partners. The functioning of the ZPs depends on the strength of the samities," she said.
It became increasingly clear how the rot has set in in the CPI-M. The rural population that looked upon the Marxists as champions of the poor became disillusioned by the rank corruption that a large number of panchayat functionaries belonging to the CPI-M indulged in over the years.
Even if the rural poor had all these years been tolerating the loot of public exchequer by influential panchayat functionaries of the ruling combine and smuggling of foodgrain meant for the ration shops into the open market, the ultimate betrayal came when the Marxists embarked on their pet industrialisation policy that threatened to rob the poor of their sole means of livelihood ~ small plots of land ~ to help the industrialists.
Why Nadia, Howrah & N 24-Pgns dealt such a blow to LF
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205106Statesman News Service
KOLKATA/KRISHNAGAR, May 22: If the Zilla Parishad results had jolted the Left Front yesterday, more embarrassment was in store for it today when it fared miserably in the fight for Panchayat Samities and Gram Panchayats in the three districts ~ Nadia, Howrah and North 24-Parganas, where the Front had gained majority in the Zilla Parishad.
The worst result for the Left Front in Panchayat Samities came from Nadia where it only managed to win two out of 17 samities. The Trinamul Congress here bagged nine while the Congress won six Panchayat Samities. In 2003, the Left exercised control over 12 Panchayat Samities. The Left had yesterday bagged 34 seats in the 45 seat Zilla Parishad, while the Congress and the Trinamul won five and six seats respectively. So, what made the tables turn?
Political analysis by different parties, point out to one basic reason. The disunity among the Left Front partners in the lower tiers of the panchayat coupled with growing Opposition unity. Something that was not evident in the fight for the Zilla Parishad, helping the Left sail through.
Mr Ashu Ghosh, Nadia district CPI-M secretary, said: "I think that the Opposition alliance did work in the polls and we had some organisational faults that led to our defeat in the samities. We will discuss the poll results in our 24 May board meeting."
In the Gram Panchayats, among 187 total panchayats, trends show that the Opposition that includes the Trinamul and the Congress have already won 129 seats, leaving the Left with just 46 seats.
In Howrah too, the Left suffered a body-blow at both Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat levels. The Left managed only four out of the 14 Panchayat Samities. The Trinamul bagged eight seats here while there's a tie in two seats. The reversal of fortunes has baffled the district CPI-M leadership as they had captured the Zilla Parishad yesterday by winning 25 seats out of the 36 seats in the parishad.
"The unity of the Opposition and the infighting among two factions within the CPI-M led to the surprising result in panchayat samities and gram panchayats in Howrah," said a Trinamul leader. In the 157 Gram Panchayats here, the Left managed only 46 against the Opposition’s 105 while the results for six are tied.
In North 24-Parganas, where the Left had literally scraped through to take the Zilla Parishad by winning 27 seats out of a total 51, the Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat results has come as a rude shock to them. They only managed four out of 22 Panchayat Samities and gained control over just 42 out of the 200 Gram Panchayats in the district. The Trinamul here bagged 15 Panchayat Samities and 141 Gram Panchayats.
District leaders say that two primary reasons were behind this. "The Opposition managed to put up a one-to-one fight against us in the panchayat samities and the gram panchayats, which they failed to do in most of the ZP seats. That could be the reason why we lost," said a senior district CPI-M leader.
The Trinamul had another reason. "In the large scale rigging engineered by the CPI-M, voters brought in by them only stamped the ZP ballot, but neglected to stamp on the Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat ballots," a Trinamul leader said.
Hindustan Times
Riot-torn Nandigram and Singur deal heaviest blows
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=3aaadafe-dcd2-4a9d-a92b-c5f1a4f19646&&Headline=Nandigram+and+Singur+deal+heaviest+blows
Tremor after tremor rocked the CPI-M headquarters on Alimuddin Street, as poll results confirmed that both Nandigram and Singur had dealt the Marxists a blow in the 2008 panchayat elections.
It was the people’s referendum on Wednesday against the CPM and Left Front government’s policy to forcibly acquire agricultural land for industries that had led to bloody land battles here and had rocked the nation.
The Nandigram blow resulted in the CPM losing control of the East Midnapore Zilla Parishad. However, the party managed to retain the zilla parishad in Hooghly district, and restrict the Singur damage to the three zilla parishad seats within the Singur Block.
“This is the people’s victory and it marks the beginning of the end for the CPM. Despite terrorising the people in Nandigram, those who voted sealed the fate of the CPM,” said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
Out of the 53 zilla parishad seats, the Trinamool won 36 and the Left Front 17. “This is a fitting reply to the CPM, which used police and cadres to kill us and forcibly acquire lands for the chemical hub,” said Trinamool MLA Suvendu Adhikari.
If the proposal for a chemical hub in Nandigram dug the CPM’s grave in East Midnapore, it was the land acquisition for the Tata Motors small car plant at Singur that cost the party heavily there. In Nandigram and Singur, the CPM also took a heavy beating in the panchayat samity and gram panchayat seats.
“I am very happy with the outcome in Nandigram,” said PCC chief Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi.
In South 24 Parganas, the decision to acquire land for infrastructure and industrial projects for the Salem Group as well as infighting did the CPM in.
Out of the 73 zilla parishad seats here, the Left Front won 33 seats. But Opposition forces such as the Congress, Trinamool and SUCI won two, 31 and five seats respectively.
“People misunderstood us. And perhaps we failed to convince them that we would not acquire land forcibly and without proper compensation. But we had little time to control the damage,” said CPM central committee member Shyamal Chakrabarty. “We knew we had a tough fight on our hands. The media has harmed us.”
With barely eight months to go for the next Lok Sabha polls, Alimuddin Street will likely put a stop to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s move to acquire land for new projects.
CNN/IBN
CPM turns red after resounding polls defeat
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/cpm-turns-red-after-resounding-polls-defeat/65724-3.htmlKolkata: The West Bengal panchayat poll results are out and the CPM has lost out in Singur and Nandigram.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has won all zila parishad seats in Nandigram, Haldia and Singur.
The cracks in the Red fortification are showing.
For the first time in two decades, the CPM has lost the zila parishad elections in Singur and Nandigram, the two regions that witnessed protests against the state government’s land acquisition for industrial projects.
The Trinamul Congress has swept all four seats in Nandigram and all three in Singur. The opposition even managed to wrest the entire East Midnapore zila parishad from the Left Front and inflict major losses on the CPM in its fortresses of Haldia and Khejuri.
“There was so much violence but revenge couldn't be sweeter - ballots won against bullets,“ said Trinamul Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee.
For the CPM, it was a rare moment of introspection.
“Till late this morning we were sure of our win, now we realise we failed to understand peoples' hearts,” said CPI-M leader, Benoy Konar.
The CPM has also lost North Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas, which went to the Congress and Trinamul Congress respectively. The Congress believes the results have some lessons for the fractured Opposition.
"Even the opposition, they should take some lesson from this result. If we are able to fight jointly, we can get much better result,” said Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee.
In other districts, the Left domination was complete. But with Lok Sabha elections just a year away, the set-backs in Singur and Nandigram might just force the Left to do a re-think on its policy of industrialisation.
It's a historic mandate, a resounding no to both the CPM's manner of handling the issue of industrialisation and the discontent it managed to infiltrate among the affected rural folk.
With several industrial projects in pipeline, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his government would be forced to tread cautiously before implementing its policies, for the first time in three-and-a-half decades.
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Intra-Left_bickering_led_to_CPMs_loss/articleshow/3061153.cms
Intra-Left bickering led to CPM's loss
22 May
KOLKATA: In a clear thumbs down to CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s industrial police, Singur voters gave CPM a drubbing in all three zilla parishad seats.
Take the original route of land acquisition by Salim Group, right from Haldia to Baruipur via Bhangar, Sonarpur.
It holds true for Dankuni, where a mega township was planned. The township area comes under Chanditala, where the government was to start buying off farmlands after the panchayat polls. CPM lost the Chanditala zilla parishad seat.
However, despite its emblematic losses, CPM still controls much of rural Bengal with results showing the party grabbing 457 of the 748 zilla parishad seats so far. Left partners have won 62 seats. Full results are expected on Thursday.
Tension has been building up for sometime. Even Left Front partners - Forward Bloc and RSP - had gone hammer and tongs against Bhattacharjee's taking over agricultural lands.
The bitter intra-Front bickering on crucial policy issues led to a division of votes in the Left camp while the opposition remained united at the grassroots.
Over and above, the observations of Justice Rajinder Sachar panel on the plight of the minorities in West Bengal added fuel to the fire.
Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind’s Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who was in the forefront of the anti-industrialization campaign in Nandigram, reached out to all these places trying to consolidate the Muslim vote against CPM.
The dissent spread to areas close to Kolkata, where landowners, mostly Muslims, were afraid of losing out their land to make way for industry.
Farmers reacted by voting out CPM from East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and North Dinajpur zilla parishads, the uppermost tier in the panchayat system. The Left Front could barely scrape through in North 24 Parganas.
Trinamool got a fresh lease of life coming to power in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas and also made impressive dents in the red bastions before the LS polls.
Murshidabad turned out to be the only consolation for the CPM-led Front that wrested the zilla parishad from Congress strongman and MP, Adhir Chowhdury.
Congress, instead, won the North Dinajpur zilla parishad and retained Malda. The only exception was Burdwan and parts of West Midnapore and Purulia, where CPM maintained its sway despite land acquisition in Durgapur, and Salbani in West Midnapore.
CPM's arrogance in Nandigram and the way Seth was trying to stifle popular opinion was an added factor for the rout.
But CPM isn't dumping land acquisition plans despite the setback. ‘‘True, we were not prepared for the results in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas. But the reverses have nothing to do with land acquisition or the Sachar panel.
If that was true then the Left Front couldn’t have won Murshidabad zilla parishad.. The government will continue with land acquisition for industry because that will ultimately help the farmers,’’ said senior CPM state secretariat member, Benoy Konar.
Thaindian News
West Bengal CPI-M blames ‘malicious campaign’ for defeat
Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) With its hold slipping in four West Bengal districts, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday blamed its defeat in the elections to the state’s local self-government bodies on a “malicious campaign” against it launched by opposition parties. “Our defeat in four West Bengal districts is due to the malicious campaign launched by the opposition and vested interests,” said senior CPI-M leader and party spokesperson Shyamal Chakraborty.
“I think, in East Midnapore district, and particularly Nandigram, we failed to convince the people about the need for industrialisation and our government’s good intentions. We could not reach out to the masses with our industrialisation drive that we started in West Bengal. The opposition has succeeded in hoodwinking the people,” he added.
For the first time in 30 years, the Left Front lost control of the East Midnapore Zilla Parishad - the top tier of the state’s three-tier panchayat system. The front was also routed at Nandigram, located in the district.
He said the party would do an in-depth review of the panchayat poll results.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee termed her party’s performance in the panchayat polls as a victory of democratic and peace-loving people over the atrocities committed by CPI-M goons with active support of the state machinery.
“We won in three out of four Zilla Parishad seats in Nandigram. If there was a clean and fair election there, we could have won in all the seats in Nandigram,” she said.
“With the result of panchayat election in Nandigram block-I and II, villagers have shown they don’t support the ruling Left Front in West Bengal,” Banerjee said.
The Nandigram region saw violence after protests against the government’s abortive bid for land acquisition for a chemical hub. The Trinamool Congress, which spearheaded the agitation in Nandigram, made a clean sweep in the area.
The panchayat polls results seemed to have opened fresh fissures in the Left Front, with the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) blaming big brother CPI-M for bending to industrialists.
“They are following the capitalist path. This election should serve as a warning to the CPI-M that development of people cannot be confused with the development of Tatas and Salims,” said senior RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya.
The ABP group's take on the Panchayat elections two days after the counting
The Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080523/jsp/frontpage/story_9309640.jsp Policy at risk, not politics Govt faces twin thorns | |
| ASHIS CHAKRABARTI | |
Bengal’s panchayat poll results have thrown up fewer surprises than would immediately strike one. That the CPM would suffer major reverses and the Trinamul Congress make some gains, especially in Nandigram and Singur, was always on the cards. The real surprise is that the Nandigram-Singur wave did not sweep the Marxists off their feet in larger parts of Bengal. Even so, the results could mean much trouble for Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his party. No one can grudge Mamata Banerjee her moments with rasogollas. But, the sweets notwithstanding, the results could not have come without a sour taste too. After all, these were no mere Nandigram-Singur elections. After she and the CPM had given their customary responses to the results, they could look at the political map of Bengal and see how little has changed. There is still the Hooghly river dividing the areas of influence — the west of the river is CPM territory and the much smaller part in its east, part of south Bengal, is hers. One has only to recall the patterns of the last few elections to see how familiar the picture is. In fact, the overall Bengal picture — the CPM winning 13 of the 17 zilla parishads — hardly indicates that this is the “beginning of the CPM’s end”, as Mamata has put it one more time. The CPM’s critics would actually be disappointed with the results. These rural polls came at the crest of a wave of protests that featured issues ranging from the police firing and the Marxists’ terror tactics at Nandigram to the government’s bungling of one issue after another, especially the Rizwanur Rahman case, and the CPM’s isolation from its partners and Left liberals. Also, between Nandigram and Rizwanur, the anti-CPM mood swayed Bengal’s large Muslim masses as on few occasions before. Rarely in recent decades has Bengal seen such long and bitter spells of popular protests against the CPM. If Mamata and other opponents of the CPM have failed to make big benefits from this political upheaval beyond East Midnapore (courtesy Nandigram), Singur, South 24-Parganas and North Dinajpur (courtesy a new star on the horizon called Deepa Das Munshi), it does not spell very high hopes for the coming collapse of the CPM. That is not to say, though, that the Marxists will be at peace with these results. They will have much to worry about the spread effect of these results in terms of space and time. More so because the next big battle they face — the Lok Sabha polls — is approaching. The biggest and immediate worry for them, though, may not be the end of their rule in Bengal and with that their newfound role in Delhi, but the difficulty Bhattacharjee may face in governance. Benoy Konar and other CPM leaders who said the results would have no impact on Bengal’s industrialisation were clearly trying to put a brave face on the Nandigram effect. The chief minister and his party would know how difficult it would be for them to push the industrial agenda, at least before the parliamentary polls. It’s not just Mamata who would try and do everything to push her Nandigram advantage. It is possible that she will move into areas where land acquisition for new industries has been smooth so far and raise new battle cries. One such front could be in her newly acquired South 24-Parganas, where villagers have reached a consensus on giving their land for a ship-building project. And, she would be encouraged to open new fronts in places like Burdwan, where she could take her “not an inch of farmland” cry to even state projects such as the proposed thermal power plant at Katwa. Bhattacharjee will also have to face two sets of old adversaries on a new scale. His critics within the party, some leaders in Bengal and at the central committee, will now try to tie his hands even more than they had done before. He — and the CPM — are sure to be under fresh pressure from parties like the RSP and the Forward Bloc. These partners have nothing to lose and much to gain from halting Bhattacharjee’s big leap forward for industrialisation. Such pressures may not be limited to issues of industrialisation — they will have their impact on other policy issues, the retail business and private investment in agriculture, for example. It would thus be reasonable to expect the political temperature in Bengal to keep rising till the parliamentary polls. And that could mean a couple of more bandhs, more violence in the districts and more of many other things that are no help to industrialisation. Report from Anandabajar Partika : http://www.anandabazar.com/23raj1.htm |
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
TATA Nano and TMC win in Singur
Economic Times
Mamata says Tata bye-bye
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Mamata_says_Tata_bye-bye/articleshow/3061137.cms
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee is about to revive her duel with the Tatas over the Nano venture in Singur. In the afterglow of her party’s emphatic victory in all the zilla parishad seats in Singur, a visibly charged Trinamool Congress chief asserted on Wednesday: “It is high time the Tatas wind up their car project in Singur. People of Singur have given a clear verdict towards our fight against the forcible land acquisition in Singur.”
When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesperson said: “We will offer no comments.”
Local Trinamool Congress leader Becharam Manna, who also won a gram panchayat seat from Singur, said: “The party would mobilise supporters against the Left Front government’s decision to allow the Tatas to set up their factory on land which was acquired forcibly”.
Singur is now an absolute Trinamool Congress bastion as the assembly constituency belongs to the party and after Wednesday’s poll results, all three seats in the zilla parishad from Singur were won by it. There is no doubt that the ruling CPM is on the threshold of another Trinamool backlash that could come in the way of the scheduled November rollout of the Tata Nano from Singur.
CPM central committee member Benoy Konar, was, however, optimistic that Trinamool Congress would not oppose the Tata Nano project. “Have you seen the election manifesto of the Trinamool Congress? In their manifesto, Mamata has said she wants at least one SEZ in all West Bengal districts. How can she oppose an industrial project and demand for at least one SEZ in all the districts at the same time?,” wondered Mr Konar.
NDTV
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080050709&ch=5/23/2008%209:59:00%20AM
Friday, May 23, 2008 (Kolkata)
In the recently concluded panchayat polls in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress has won complete control over Singur, the site of the Nano plant.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee now wants Tata to return 400 acres of land to farmers, who had allegedly been forced to give up their land. The West Bengal government is stunned.
Ratan Tata unveiled the Nano prototype on January 10. On that day, he had laughingly said that one of names suggested for the car was Mamata. Now Mamata Banerjee has stopped just short of serving an ultimatum to the industrialist.
''We are not against any individual industrialist. But he is behaving just like a party card holder. He should take a lesson,'' said Mamata Banerjee.
When asked as to what she wanted Ratan Tata to do, Mamata said, ''He should return the land - about 400 acres - to farmers who have not yet given their land.''
Mamata's demand follows her party's victory at Singur in the panchayat polls, seen by some as a referendum on Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's industry policy. Despite negative results, the government has said that there won't be any rollback on industry but has hoped that good sense wins at Singur.
''I think this is an impossible demand. I think the people of the area will also realise it that it will actually help the people of the locality. I think the people who have been elected, are also responsible people,'' said Industry Minister Nirupam Sen.
The Nano is expected to roll out of Singur during the Durga Pujas in October. But Mamata Banerjee's poser to Ratan Tata may just throw a spanner in the works.
The Statesman
Krishi Jomi to stall Singur plant work
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=205132Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, May 22: After getting an overwhelming response from the people of Singur in Panchayat election, Trinamul Congress-led Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee (SKJRC) have decided to disrupt construction work at the Singur small car project area from Sunday.
Stating this, Mr Becharam Manna, SKJRC convener, said: “We will first request the construction labourers not to carry on with work at the site. If they refuse to do so, they will not be allowed to enter the project area.” The decision to “stall the the work on the project “ has been taken at a meeting late last night, he added. “Labourers from other districts, who are carrying out construction work at the site, have been requested to leave the project area by Sunday. We have got the mandate from people that plots had been forcibly taken from the farmers, said Mr Mr Manna who clinched a panchayat samiti seat from Singur defeating CPI-M contestant by a huge margin.
Mr Dibakar Das, CPI-M Hooghly district committee member, alleged that some “unruly” Trinamul Congress supporters have chased away a section of labourers from the project area last night after the poll results were declared. “We have requested officer-in-charge of Singur police station to strengthen the security in the project area. Because more than 25 per cent of policemen had been withdrawn from the site ahead of the elections, we apprehend a fresh attack on the factory's boundary wall.” Senior police officers, however, refused comment on the matter.
America’s Bengal diagnosis
| http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080522/jsp/frontpage/story_9304648.jsp | ||
| A STAFF REPORTER | ||
Calcutta, May 21: The day parts of rural Bengal fired a shot across the industrialisation bow, America, too, let loose a warning volley. A cocktail of plentiful bandhs and scarce infrastructure is not a nourishing tonic for industrialisation, the outgoing US consul-general, Henry V. Jardine, reminded Bengal today. Jardine, who was speaking at an interactive session at the Indian Chamber of Commerce, said a culture of intimidation and threats through bandhs was not conducive to industrial growth, especially when many American companies were thinking of expanding operations in the state. “You could get hurt if you go to work; this kind of strategy cannot be conducive to industrial development. Such forms of intimidation and threats cannot be a legitimate way of expression in a vibrant democracy like Bengal and India,” Jardine, who is nearing the end of his term, said. Political parties, he added, should pause before they call a bandh. Sectors badly affected by bandhs are IT, IT-enabled services and consultancy that have the maximum presence of American companies such as IBM, Genpact, PwC and Deloitte. The IT and ITES sectors have been conferred the status of public utility service provider to ensure companies can work through the year, but 74.19 per cent of such companies surveyed in the city recently by a chamber had said the “reality” was different. “On paper, we do have the status. However, the way things have been in the last six months, with frequent bandhs, it does create a lot of problems for any 24x7 operation,” said a top IT official who declined to be named. Jardine struck a warning note on infrastructure, too — an issue with longer-term implications than bandhs. The US envoy made it clear that addition of a few roads was not enough to create infrastructure for development. “Though the government is seeking foreign investment in these areas (infrastructure), these projects need to be large and visionary in scope to create potential for future investment and development,” he said. Asked about the issues raised by Jardine, state commerce and industry secretary Sabyasachi Sen said: “This is not an opportune moment to comment on such issues. People are entitled to their opinion.” Some of Bengal’s major road infrastructure projects that have hit a stumbling block include the Haldia-Kolaghat connector and expansion of National Highway 34, while the deep-sea port project off the Nayachar islands is tied in red tape. |
Poll won, fear of cadres persists
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080522/jsp/bengal/story_9304772.jsp
| ANSHUMAN PHADIKAR | ||
Nandigram, May 21: Mamata Banerjee may have swept East Midnapore but over 1,000 Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee supporters who had fled home after CPM cadres threatened to bash them up are scared to return home. Malati Das of Simulkundu said: “The CPM supporters came to our house frequently before the elections and said they would pick their targets selectively if they won and beat every one of us if they lost.” The 40-year-old widow had fled home with her two sons and a daughter on May 12, a day after the polls here. Around 500 people from Simulkundu, Sonachura, Southkhali, Satengabari, Keyakhali, Gokulnagar and Gangra have taken shelter in the block development office. Malati said she was “happy that the CPM had lost” the East Midnapore zilla parishad. “But that doesn’t mean we can return home immediately. The CPM has told us they will beat us up even if they lose. Who will provide us with security?” asked Malati. Many in the camp had fled home before the polls. But they returned home on the eve of the elections after CRPF deputy inspector-general Alok Raj arrived in Nandigram and promised a vote without fear. Raj left Nandigram a day after the polls and the villagers had to leave home again in the face of renewed threats. Gourhari Das, 32, a farm labourer in Gangra, had fled before the polls with wife Purnima, 25, and son Somnath, 3. “The CPM workers severely beat up my husband because he was writing Trinamul graffiti and looted our house. We returned home from the block office on the night of May 10. But we had to flee again two days later,” said Purnima. She was in tears when she said she could not find any milk for her son for days as there was virtually no relief. Like her, Purnima Maity, 35, of Brindabanchowk was overjoyed to learn about the Trinamul triumph but apprehensive about what lay ahead. “Police are inactive and CPM leaders have threatened us with dire consequences. An atmosphere of terror and panic prevails in the village,” she said. The district CPM leadership denied the charges. “Allegations that CPM workers are threatening and beating up villagers in Nandigram are baseless,” said district secretariat member Ashok Guria. Nandigram I block development officer Shantiram Gorai said: “We’ll take an initiative to escort them home after the counting process is over.” Until that happens, the community hall in his office would be home to hundreds. There are no relief materials at the camp because the leaders are busy with the polls and the administration is bound by the code of conduct. An official said no relief could be provided until the elections were over. See Also: Bargain chips for MamataTakeover attempt takes toll in Nandi Image of party that ‘terrorises’ hurt ‘Surprised’ CPM swears by industry |
Panchayat Polls Result 2008
The Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080522/jsp/frontpage/story_9304845.jsp
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The Statesman
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1643188839709&id=204960
CRACKS IN RED CITADEL
KOLKATA, May 21: For the first time during its three decades of uninterrupted rule the CPI-M today suffered the worst defeat in rural Bengal, its main support base, when Nandigram, the whole of East Midnapore, Singur, South 24-Parganas and North Dinajpur voted the Marxists out giving a body blow to the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-government's controversial and audacious policy of industrialisation through farm land acquisition. The Trinamul Congress and the Congress wrested the Zilla Parishads from the CPI-M in three districts completely overshadowing the Left Front's victory in 13 districts.
Nandigram and Singur not only stood out as metaphors for the resentment in rural Bengal against the LF policy of industrialisation that spilled innocent blood on the fertile soil of East Midnapore, but spurred the agrarian community in other parts of the state to vote resoundingly against the policy that threatens to forcibly take away their only means of livelihood ~ the land ~ via an archaic colonial-era legislation. The CPI-M was shell-shocked by the defeat in Midnapore East and South 24-Parganas and its Central committee member, Mr Benoy Konar, couldn't conceal the feeling of disbelief : "Even at 8 a.m. this morning we felt we were going to win in the two districts."
The CPI-M won the North 24-Parganas Zilla Parishad by the skin of its teeth and won the ZP with a substantially reduced majority in Hooghly (home to Singur). It could just pip Congress to the post in Murshidabad, the ZP wrested from Congress strongman Mr Adhir Chowdhury who is crying foul and retained all other ZPs but most with reduced majorities. And following this pattern, panchayat samiti with 8,798 seats and gram panchayats having 41,516 seats are likely to be even worse for the Marxists. The support of the minority community for the CPI-M, too, showed severe strain. The people of Midnapore East especially the electorate of Nandigram reacted strongly against the Left Front government's policy of industrialisation through farmland acquisition and its continuous terror tactics. This is a major setback for the ruling CPI-M for the first time in the history of Left regime here. The Trinamul Congress wrested control of the East Midnapore Zilla Parishad by bagging 35 seats out of 53 Zilla Parishad seats this time. In the previous panchayat polls in 2003, the Trinamul Congress had only two seats out of 51 Zilla Parishad seats. This time, the breakup is Trinamul-35, Suci-1, CPI-M-14, CPI-2 and DSP-1.
In all four seats of Nandigram - I and II blocks, which saw violence after protests against the government's bid for land acquisition for a chemical hub, the Trinamul candidates have won the polls by defeating the CPI-M candidates including a heavyweight leader. Sheikh Sufian, a Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee leader backed by the Trinamul, defeated his rival CPI-M candidate Mr Ashok Jana by a margin of over 13,000 votes whilst Mr Pijush Bhunia, another Trinamul leader defeated Mr Ashok Bera, a CPI-M zonal committee secretary by over 21,00 votes.
Beside this success in the trouble-torn Nandigram area, the Trinamul Congress has been able to snatch a Zilla Parishad seat from Khejuri-II block, which is known as the red bastion.
Another jolt for the Left Front came in the form of South 24-Parganas where they could only win 31 out of the 73 seats in the ZP. The Trinamul made a major turnaround by winning 34 seats alone and with its alliance partner Suci bagging five seats, the two parties look set to form the Zilla Parishad. The Congress grabbed three seats. During the last election, the LF had won 61 seats in the 66-seat ZP.
In North 24-Parganas, the Left Front managed to scrape through in the 51-seat Zilla Parishad by winning 27 seats. During the last polls, the Left Front had bagged 49 seats. The Trinamul Congress, which emerged as the main Opposition party here, secured 18 seats and the Congress bagged eight seats. The Trinamul got most of the seats in Bongaon, Bashirhat and Barasat subdivisions. Mr Kamal Das, Trinamul district secretary in North 24-Parganas, claimed that Trinamul would have gained absolute majority in the Zilla Parishad had the CPI-M not resorted to large-scale rigging in the polls.
The Left Front secured 36 out of 47 ZP seats in Hooghly, while the Trinamul bagged the remaining 11, including three seats from Singur. In 2003, the CPI-M had wrested all the 47 ZP seats in Hooghly. The CPI-M district leaders said the "malicious campaign" against the CPI-M over the Tapasi Malik murder case resulted in their defeat in Singur.
Meanwhile, the only gain for the Left Front came in the form of Murshidabad, where they secured 32 seats following a close fight with the Congress, which bagged 31 seats in the 63-seat ZP. In the 2003 panchayat polls, the Congress had won 33 seats in the 60-member ZP while the LF bagged the remaining 27 seats. Congress MP, Mr Adhir Chowdhury alleged that CPI-M sponsored terror in Domkal, Hariharpara, Jalangi and some other blocks of the districts resulted in low turnout, which led to their defeat.
The Congress salvaged its fortunes in North Dinajpur by taking control of the ZP. The Congress bagged 15 ZP seats, the CPI-M won in eight and the Forward Bloc one to complete the tally of 24 ZP seats. Both the outgoing sabhadhipati and saha sabhadhipati of the CPI-M led North Dinajpur ZP, Mrs Jyotsnarani Singh and Mr Ashok Singh respectively were defeated by Congress candidates. Mrs Singh held the disunity in the Left Front responsible for her defeat. “We had no adjustment either with the Forward Bloc or West Bengal Socialist Party in the places where we lost,” she said.
In Malda, the Congress retained the ZP by winning and finally bagged 18 Zilla Parishad seats out of 34 ones. In 2003, Congress had won 15 seats out of 33 and formed the board with the help of the BJP and Trinamul. The LF has bagged only 15 seats.
In Nadia, the Opposition managed to snatch nine seats from the LF this time. While the Congress bagged five seats, Trinamul got six, leaving the LF with the remaining 34 seats in the 45 seat ZP. Last time around, the Opposition had managed to grab only three seats. In Howrah too, the Opposition dented the LF seat count. The LF won in 25 seats, while the Trinamul bagged 10 seats and the Congress a lone seat in the 36 seat ZP. Last time around the LF had won 33 out of the 34 seat ZP.
The Left Front also suffered a minor setback in Birbhum, losing nine ZP seats, mainly in the minority dominated areas. In a 35-seat ZP, the LF captured 26 seats, while the Congress wrested seven seats and the Trinamul and the BJP bagged one seat each. Last time, the Opposition had bagged only four seats in the ZP.
The LF has retained all the ZP seats in Bankura except one. In 2003 the Trinamul had snatched one seat. This time the lone opponent victory went in favour of the Jharkhand Party (Aditya). In Burdwan, the LF bagged 64 out of the 67 seats in the ZP. While two seats went to the Trinamul, the Congress grabbed one seat. In Midnapore West, the LF retained the ZP by winning 57 out of the 62 seats.
In Purulia, CPI-M retained the ZP by winning 30 seats while the Congress won the remaining 5 seats in the 35 seat ZP. Minister of state for forest, Mrs Bilasi Bala Sahis won her ZP seat here by a margin of 4,533 votes. One short from its previous tally of 10 seats in the South Dinajpur ZP, the LF stamped its authority in South Dinajpur by winning 15 seats out of the 17 seat ZP. The Congress and the Trinamul Congress bagged one each. In Cooch Behar, the LF bagged 27 seats while the Congress and Trinamul bagged one seat each. Despite an internal feud, the LF retained the Jalpaiguri ZP by winning 32 out of the 34 ZP seats. Two seats went to the Congress.
Q The Statesman: The Panchayat Polls will be a referendum on your industrialisation policy...do you agree?
CM: Yes. And the verdict will be overwhelmingly in favour. [9 May, at a Press meet in Kolkata]
My Only comment on the results is that I have no comment
~Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on 21 May, after the panchayat poll verdict
The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/22/stories/2008052258601300.htm
Left Front sweeps zilla parishad polls in West Bengal
Special Correspondent
| Setback in Nandigram, Singur |
Retains Hooghly zilla parishad
Makes inroads in Murshidabad
KOLKATA: The ruling Left Front swept the zilla parishad elections in West Bengal, winning in 13 out of the 17 bodies, but failed to retain control in three. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress with its allies won in two each.
The Left parties suffered major setbacks in both Nandigram and Singur.
The elections were held early this month along with the polls for panchayat samitis and gram panchayats.
Nandigram and Singur have been in the spotlight following unrest in the wake of the movement by the Trinamool-led Opposition against acquisition of farmland for setting up industries.
Apparently, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s decision to drop the plan to set up a chemical hub in the Nandigram area early last year, following protests, was not enough to ensure a Left Front victory of the seats in the Purbo Medinipur zilla parishad. This loss resonated in other parts of the district too and the Trinamool wrested control of the civic body for the first time.
Despite the jolt in the Singur area — the site of the Tata Motors project — the Left Front retained control of the zilla parishad in Hooghly.
It also made significant inroads in Murshidabad district, considered a Congress stronghold, and won the zilla parishad.
Another major outcome was the Left Front losing majority in the zilla parishad in South 24 Parganas district — the scene of clashes between supporters of the CPI(M) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party on the poll day. The Trinamool along with its allies emerged victorious in the district.
The Congress wrested the zilla parishad in North Dinajpur from the Left Front. The party retained its sway over the civic body in Malda district, despite the stiff fight put up by the Left.
The Left Front registered thumping majorities in the zilla parishads in Bankura, Burdwan Jalpaiguri, Birbhum, Purulia, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur.
It retained control of the zilla parishads in Nadia, Paschim Medinipur and Howrah as well as in North 24 Parganas though the Trinamool made some substantial gains there.
