Carrying a legacy forward

Dibyendu Adhikari,son and brother of MPs,seeks to make a mark of his own

In the constituency of Contai South that goes to polls on May 3,the sitting MLA is hoping to extend a family tradition.

Dibyendu Adhikari,34,is seeking a re-election from a seat that his brother once represented. Shubhendu Adhikari was MLA,Contai South,till 2009,when he resigned after being elected the MP of Contai. In the by-election that followed,Dibyendu Adhikari scored a sweeping victory over his Left Front opponent to carry on his familys grip on the regions politics.

Sisir Adhikari,father of Subhendu and Dibyendu,is the familys other MP and a Union Minister of State. He represents Tamluk in the same district,East Midnapore. Sisir himself is a nephew of Bipin Bihari Adhikari,a well-known freedom fighter.

The family,particularly Subhendu,is credited with spearheading the growth of the Trinamool Congress in the district. Subhendu was in the forefront of the Nandigram agitation.

Dibyendu says he is proud of the responsibility of carrying a legacy forward. Politics has been part of my life since birth,from answering calls for my father to campaigning for him and my brother, he says. When I was six years old,I listened to an election rally where the Left Front launched a scathing attack on my father. That was the stepping-stone to my fight against the Left Front.

The constituency,a small patch of green in rural Bengal,is surrounded by areas that have seen political upheaval. Six kilometres from Contai South is Haripur,chosen site for a nuclear plant that the Trinamool Congress has been opposing. Contai is also close to Nandigram and the beaches of Digha,Shankarpur and Mondarmani. Dibyendu is aggressive in his opposition to Haripur and suggests that the government explore sources of energy elsewhere.

He says the region has given a lot to the family and he is optimistic it will not let him down this time either. His election agent,the elderly Sourindra Jana who has worked with his father and brother too,is confident. Dibyendu will win by 35,000 to 40,000 votes. The CPM will be wiped out, Jana says.

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Political observers,however,say what may go against him are allegations that the family has been using money and muscle power. There are also minor differences between the family and Mamata Banerjee,party insiders say.

Dibyendu Adhikari hopes this election will help him come out from under the shadow of his father and brother. He has pledged to turn Contai South into a model constituency by developing coastal eco-tourism belts and ensuring clean drinking water to every household.