Development and poll win: A story of two villages

MIDNAPORE/BEHRAMPORE: Is there a direct correlation between development and poll victory? Not always. There are other factors as well that decide the popularity of vote-seekers in a particular area.

To get a clue to the riddle, sample these two villages — Digambarpur under Patharpratima block in South 24 Parganas and Simulpal under Binpur II block in West Midnapore. While Digambarpur, recently awarded the best panchayat in the country, went with Trinamool, people in Simulpal voted for the Opposition — Adim Adivasi Manch and BJP.
While Digambarpur can boast of its clean roads, well-managed waste disposal and a good water supply system, Simulpal, too, has witnessed development — a lot of it — over the past few years. Those who have been to the forest hamlets of Binpur II would acknowledge the development — new village roads, electricity, better health centres, new source of water, culverts other than routine government doles. This apart, the state spent Rs 270 crore for Jangalmahal in 2016-17, Rs 736 crore in 2017-18 through Paschimanchal Unnayan Parishad.
Yet, Trinamool was found trailing in OBC minister Churamani Mahato’s home booth in Jhargram. Jhargram zilla sabhapati Samay Mandi, this time a candidate from Gopiballabhpur I, lost the polls. Trinamool MLA from Salboni Srikanta Mahato couldn’t give a lead to his party at his home booth.
All these point to a political disconnect that CM Mamata Banerjee hinted at during the administrative meeting in the district on February 16. Mamata had asked Mahato to spend more time in panchayat works. She also pointed to the lack of coordination between Trinamool public representatives — Churamani Mahato and Sukumar Hansda. The other thing that caught her attention was the lack of interest among local contractors to fill in government tenders of public works.
Panchayat secretary Saurabh Das present at that meeting fumbled for a reply. The answer came months later in ballot box. Villagers in Jangalmahal pointed to the growing corruption among local Trinamool leaders that alienated them from the locals. Harda GP under the same Binpur II block is a case in point. BJP here won all the 14 seats when results went in favour of Trinamool in 2013.
The growing discontent between the rulers and the local communities — santhals, mahalis, kurmis (Mahato) and bhumij — got a shape when the local Trinamool didn’t pay heed to the molestation complaint by an Adivasi girl accusing a Trinamool leader’s kin at Kanko.
BJP used the local discontent to win over youths below 30. Trinamool West Midnapore president Ajit Maity said: “Some from our party fought as independents as they didn’t get tickets. BJP spent huge money in these areas, hired goons from neighbouring Jharkhand to take control of the area.”