Nalhati in limelight after Pranab’s son jumps into fray

A Forward Bloc preserve since 1977 when the Left Front government took over the reins of West Bengal,Nalhati returned Kalimuddin Shams,a state minister,twice to the Assembly and after his death Dipak Chatterjee held the baton.

History would perhaps have repeated itself this time too,but for the sudden entry of Abhijit Mukherjee into the poll ring,completely changing the complexion of the game.

Though the victory of Abhijit looks certain judging by the people’s mood,the Mukherjees are taking no chances.

In his first election meeting on April 11,Pranab argued that though his son was a newcomer to politics,he would turn out to be a ‘good MLA of the people’ if he was elected.

“He would work for the development of the area,” he said.

Abhijit on his part said,”I am a son of the soil. My father and grandfather are known as leaders from Birbhum.”

Nalhati is predominantly a rural belt and Nalhati town lacks urban facilities. Roads are in a bad condition and so is the drainage system.

There is no big industry in the area and the only establishments providing jobs to the local people are the stone mines and the crushing units.

That the voters are displeased with the sitting MLA Forward Bloc’s Dipak Chatterjee’s ‘none-too-bright’ performance was reflected in the polls since the 2006 Assembly election.

In the 2006 Assembly election,Forward Bloc candidate Dipak Chatterjee secured 50.41 per cent votes whereas his opposition Congress candidate Abdul Walli Mollah got 41.72 per cent share.

But in the Panchayat election that followed two years later,the situation dramatically altered with the Left votes witnessing a free fall. In the rural areas Congress bagged eight out of nine village Panchayats. Two Panchayat Samitis also went to the Congress.

Though the first election to the Nalhati civic board in 2002 saw Congress emerge as the majority party,at present it is dominated by the Trinamool Congress courtesy mass defection of Congress councillors to the Trinamool Congress camp.

Even the civic board chairman Biplab Ojha pitched his tent in the Trinamool Congress two years ago,presenting a tricky situation for the Congress.

Though the Trinamool Congress publicly promised to help the Congress candidate in the election,some eyebrows were raised after filing of nomination by an independent candidate Rudreadev Ghosh,who is known locally as a Trinamool leader.

However,the Trinamool leadership has denied any love lost for Ghosh. Chatterjee has to fight a Congress heavyweight’s son and on top of that the strong anti-Left sentiment crystallised around lack of development in the area.

In his defence,Chatterjee said,”I have used most of the money available from the MLA LAD scheme for development.

The educational infrastructure has been strengthened in the area. A number of new roads and bridges have been constructed.”

He admitted,however,that he could not fulfill one of the main demands of the people — a rail overbridge and that due to ‘non-cooperation of the rail authority’.

About his rival Abhijit Mukherjee,he said,”I stay here round the year. People have bitter experience of outsiders like MP Satabdi Roy. They come here just to win the election.

We stay here to serve the people. I am confident the people will not commit the mistake again.”

To this Abhijit Mukherjee said,”I am a son of the soil. My father and grandfather are known as leaders from Birbhum.

The response of the people of Nalhati is overwhelming. I have already identified some areas for development. Lack of development is evident everywhere. Basic amenities are not within the reach of common people.”

The other candidates contesting from Nalhati are Anil Singha (BJP),Bikash Mondal (BSP) Rudradev Ghosh (independent),Prabhat Mondal (independent),Rafikul Hassan (independent) and Md Ajrail (Independent).

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