Mamata-Modi, Left-Right: Bengal gram panchayat polls result in ‘unusual’ pairings

Yet, the exigencies of staying in power have forced the hand of political parties in the state. Basudebpur, a mere 40 km from Kolkata, is among the few gram panchayats in Bengal where lines that divide parties at the national and state levels have blurred, and arch rivals have come together to form panchayat boards.

In some cases where TMC and BJP have joined forces — like in Basudebpur, where they claim to have set up a janaganer (people’s) panchayat to keep “corrupt people” away from power — it’s mostly to keep a rival faction in the ruling party at bay.

Elsewhere, BJP and CPIM have joined hands to keep TMC away.

At least 55 people were killed in the panchayat polls held in July as TMC and Opposition workers clashed. TMC won an overwhelming 38,118 of 48,649 gram panchayat seats, while BJP won 5,779, CPIM 1,483 and Congress 1,066.

The Indian Express visited four such gram panchayats across Howrah, Purba Medinipur and Nadia districts.

Howrah

“We are aware that we are arch enemies, but it was the people’s wish that we form a manusher (people’s) panchayat. This alliance was formed to keep the corrupt within TMC from grabbing power,” said 36-year-old Koley, who owns a television repair shop in the village.

During panchayat polls in Basudebpur, which has a population of over 20,000 and around 12,000 voters, TMC won 13 seats, BJP 6 and Indian Secular Front (ISF) 1. Though Koley was the face of TMC’s campaign, a different name was proposed during board formation on August 11.

“After TMC proposed someone else’s name for pradhan, four of us (winning candidates from TMC) sought BJP’s support. They supported us after showing some reluctance initially,” said Koley.

Gonra, a tuition teacher, added, “Our prime objective was to keep corrupt TMC leaders from grabbing power. Koley is an honest man. The important thing is not the parties that joined hands, but serving our gram panchayat.”
The BJP had won the Basudebpur gram panchayat polls in 2013 and 2018. Sitting beside Koley and Gonra, Dilip Maity, a winning candidate from BJP, said “everything is possible in politics”.

Maity added, “Though we campaigned against each other in the panchayat polls, our alliance was formed for the people. We will campaign against TMC in the Lok Sabha polls next year and the Assembly polls too.”
However, not everyone has come to terms with this unusual political alliance. TMC Youth Block president Satyajit Mondol told The Indian Express, “I think everyone should abide by party rules and elect the candidate chosen by the party for the gram panchayat.”

Purba Medinipur

About 50 km from Basudebpur, in Baishnabchak gram panchayat of Purba Medinipur district’s Kolaghat block, BJP and CPIM joined hands to form the board. In the recent panchayat polls, TMC won 8 seats, BJP 4, CPIM 5, Independents 3, Congress 1 and ISF 1.

Shibnath Samanta, an Independent who joined the BJP on July 20, is the gram panchayat’s deputy pradhan. Though Ruksehanaj Parvin Begum of CPIM is the pradhan, both she and her husband Moidul Malida refused to comment on the post-poll alliance.

In Baishnabchak gram panchayat of Purba Medinipur district’s Kolaghat block, Independent candidate Shibnath Samanta joined the BJP after his win in the recent panchayat polls. His deputy pradhan belongs to the CPIM. (Express photo by Partha Paul.)

Samanta told The Indian Express, “After the results, both BJP and CPIM had one agenda — to keep the corrupt TMC from taking over the gram panchayat.”

Samanta, who was with CPIM since 2010 and the secretary of the local Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) committee, said, “CPIM refused to support me because I wanted to contest as an Independent. Since the BJP agreed to support me, I joined the party after I won.”

He added, “Though I am a Leftist, one has to think of survival too. When I see Left and TMC leaders together in INDIA (the national Opposition coalition), I find it unacceptable. TMC workers have made our lives miserable here.”

Nadia

Nearly 113 km from Kolkata, in Dignagar gram panchayat of Nadia district’s Krishnanagar-1 block, two of four winners from BJP were huddled in an air-conditioned room with five of 10 winners from CPIM, including the pradhan and the deputy pradhan, when The Indian Express visited.

Of 22 seats, CPIM won 10, TMC 8 and BJP 4 seats. However, BJP abstained from voting during board formation.
Digoli Biswas Sarkar, the pradhan and a first-time candidate, said, “There was no understanding (between CPIM and BJP). BJP’s abstinence from voting allowed us to win against TMC. We will work with BJP because we will need their cooperation to develop the area.”

CPIM’s Subhankar Karmakar, 30, added, “It would have been better if BJP had joined us to form the board. That is practical politics.”

Digoli Biswas Sarkar (R) , Pradhan and a CPIM member. Digoli is a first time candidate. Sitting with Upo Pradhan Samir Debnath(CPM) at Dignagar Gram panchayat at Krishnanagar 1 block in Nadia district. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

About 35 km away from Dignagar gram panchayat lies Kalinga gram panchayat in Chopra block of Nadia. Of 30 seats, BJP and TMC won 13 seats each in the panchayat polls, and CPIM 4.

Pradhan Utpal Sarkar, 45, who was with CPIM for 20 years before joining BJP in 2018, said, “Keeping TMC away from power was more important than petty political differences. CPIM’s votes allowed us to form a janaganer panchayat.”

His deputy, Rita Halder of BJP, said, “People voted against the corrupt TMC. We accepted that verdict to keep TMC outside.”

However, party leaders with state units said no authorisation had been given for these alliances by their respective party high commands.

Utpal Sarkar (right), who was with CPIM for 20 years before joining BJP in 2018, with his deputy, BJP’s Rita Halder, at Kalinga gram panchayat office in Nadia district’s Chopra block. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, “Such alliances happen at the ground level. The party will never endorse such a tie-up with TMC or CPIM.”

Calling the panchayat poll alliances “extremely stray incidents”, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “We never acknowledge such understandings.”

CPIM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, “Our stand is clear — no vote to BJP or TMC. We have taken action against our ground-level leadership for supporting these parties at a few places. In many gram panchayats, TMC and BJP formed alliances to defeat us. Will their leaders take action against them?”