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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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Rural polls: spotlight on Nandigram

Marcus Dam

KOLKATA: The spotlight is on Nandigram in Purbo Medinipur district in the run-up to next month’s rural polls in West Bengal. Given the turbulence which not only claimed human lives but also stalled panchayat work in 2007, when large parts of the area remained cut off from the rest of the State, this is hardly surprising.

The sparks continue to fly occasionally even as the elections to be held on May 11 draw closer.

The Left Front, in control over most of the panchayat bodies in the two blocks of Nandigram, is promising to put the development programmes back on track. It is being confronted by the Trinamool Congress, which had launched a movement early in 2007 against the acquisition of farmland for setting up a chemical hub in the area.

The Congress, which too was critical of the State government’s handling of the unrest in Nandigram last year, is engaged in forging a covert alliance at the lower levels with the Trinamool, The party perceives it is the only way to dislodge the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from power there.

For Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, a victory in the electoral battle in Nandigram will be an icing on the cake of what she considers her success in having been able to get the State government backtrack on the project.

She has announced that action will be taken against any leader of her party found arriving at a consensus on seat adjustments with the Congress.

Yet, Ms. Banerjee is turning a blind eye to the goings-on at the grassroots level in Nandigram, where moves have been initiated by local leaders of both the parties towards reaching some sort of understanding to prevent divisions within the anti-Left vote. Nandigram has become critical to the political interest of both the Left Front and the Opposition.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is to address rallies in Nandigram’s surrounding areas in the coming weekend; Ms Banerjee has already visited there twice earlier this week.

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