Bengal: Polling in Singur, Nandigram today
KOLKATA: Elections are usually about politicians and people. In at least eight of the 63 assembly segments that go to the polls in the fourth phase on Tuesday, the key player is the Election Commission (EC). Complaints of terror and intimidation have been pouring into the EC's Kolkata office from the Opposition. In the fourth phase, the ruling CPM is flooding the EC with complaints.
The EC faces a challenge to provide a level playing field to all parties in this phase.
The fourth phase of elections will be held in Howarh, Hooghly, East Midnapore and 13 seats of Burdwan. It is significant for the key opponents: Trinamool Congress and CPM. This phase includes Singur and Nandigram that helped Mamata Banerjee turn the tables against the well-entrenched communist vote machine in south Bengal.
The anti-land acquisition stir forced the Tatas to exit Singur and shift to Gujarat's Sanand. It bared flaws in the acquisition process prompting a rethink on the policy at the national level.
In Bengal, the stir routed the CPM in East Midnapore. At Khejuri and Nandigram in East Midnapore, Arambagh, Goghat, Khanakul and Pursura in Hooghly, Bally and Howrah (North) in Howrah, the battle for ballots has seen families ousted from their homes.
In Howrah, the CPM was ahead in only two of the 16 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Trinamool's Rabi Ranjan Chatterjee is breathing down the neck of CPM heavyweight and commerce and industry minister Nirupam Sen in Burdwan (South). Three other seats ^ Kalna, Purbasthali (North) and Katwa ^ where the Opposition have dented the once-impregnable red citadel. Some of these areas witnessed the worst ration riots followed by a drought last year.
Trinamool's challenge is to maintain the Lok Sabha tally in Howrah, East Midnapore and Hooghly, and tear into the Left in Burdwan. A working unity among the Trinamool and the Congress activists at the grassroots can work wonders in Burdwan. Mamata Banerjee stayed in Burdwan on Sunday night to supervise election preparations. Her colleagues wrote to the Election Commission alleging that the CPM was using the administration in Bally and intimidating voters in Arambagh, Goghat, Khanakul and Pursura in Hooghly.
This phase is also crucial for the CPM that has been claiming a ``turnaround'' in the political situation. Pushed to the wall in south Bengal, Left activists have been working overtime to defend the red fort in Burdwan that showed cracks in Mangalkote and Raina. CPM leaders have been chasing a high asking rate in Howrah and Hooghly. Three Left Front ministers Naren De of the Forward Bloc, Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury and Mohanto Chatterjee of the CPM and Marxist Forward Bloc candidate Pratim Chatterjee are in the fray from this zone. Two retired IPS officers Sultan Singh and Rachpal Singh are contesting from Bally in Howrah and Tarakeswar in Hooghly on a Trinamool ticket.
CPM leaders are banking on assembly segments in Uluberia expecting a shift in the minority vote. CPM is also confident of improving its tally in Hooghly and opening its account in East Midnapore. Here, the CPM is banking on the non-performance of Trinamool-run panchayats and municipalities. They believe this would put brakes on the winds of change. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also expects a turnaround in parts of East Midnapore if people get a chance to vote. Now, it is over to the Election Commission to ensure free polls.
KOLKATA: Elections are usually about politicians and people. In at least eight of the 63 assembly segments that go to the polls in the fourth phase on Tuesday, the key player is the Election Commission (EC). Complaints of terror and intimidation have been pouring into the EC's Kolkata office from the Opposition. In the fourth phase, the ruling CPM is flooding the EC with complaints.
The EC faces a challenge to provide a level playing field to all parties in this phase.
The fourth phase of elections will be held in Howarh, Hooghly, East Midnapore and 13 seats of Burdwan. It is significant for the key opponents: Trinamool Congress and CPM. This phase includes Singur and Nandigram that helped Mamata Banerjee turn the tables against the well-entrenched communist vote machine in south Bengal.
The anti-land acquisition stir forced the Tatas to exit Singur and shift to Gujarat's Sanand. It bared flaws in the acquisition process prompting a rethink on the policy at the national level.
In Bengal, the stir routed the CPM in East Midnapore. At Khejuri and Nandigram in East Midnapore, Arambagh, Goghat, Khanakul and Pursura in Hooghly, Bally and Howrah (North) in Howrah, the battle for ballots has seen families ousted from their homes.
In Howrah, the CPM was ahead in only two of the 16 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Trinamool's Rabi Ranjan Chatterjee is breathing down the neck of CPM heavyweight and commerce and industry minister Nirupam Sen in Burdwan (South). Three other seats ^ Kalna, Purbasthali (North) and Katwa ^ where the Opposition have dented the once-impregnable red citadel. Some of these areas witnessed the worst ration riots followed by a drought last year.
Trinamool's challenge is to maintain the Lok Sabha tally in Howrah, East Midnapore and Hooghly, and tear into the Left in Burdwan. A working unity among the Trinamool and the Congress activists at the grassroots can work wonders in Burdwan. Mamata Banerjee stayed in Burdwan on Sunday night to supervise election preparations. Her colleagues wrote to the Election Commission alleging that the CPM was using the administration in Bally and intimidating voters in Arambagh, Goghat, Khanakul and Pursura in Hooghly.
This phase is also crucial for the CPM that has been claiming a ``turnaround'' in the political situation. Pushed to the wall in south Bengal, Left activists have been working overtime to defend the red fort in Burdwan that showed cracks in Mangalkote and Raina. CPM leaders have been chasing a high asking rate in Howrah and Hooghly. Three Left Front ministers Naren De of the Forward Bloc, Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury and Mohanto Chatterjee of the CPM and Marxist Forward Bloc candidate Pratim Chatterjee are in the fray from this zone. Two retired IPS officers Sultan Singh and Rachpal Singh are contesting from Bally in Howrah and Tarakeswar in Hooghly on a Trinamool ticket.
CPM leaders are banking on assembly segments in Uluberia expecting a shift in the minority vote. CPM is also confident of improving its tally in Hooghly and opening its account in East Midnapore. Here, the CPM is banking on the non-performance of Trinamool-run panchayats and municipalities. They believe this would put brakes on the winds of change. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also expects a turnaround in parts of East Midnapore if people get a chance to vote. Now, it is over to the Election Commission to ensure free polls.
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