Today you see me, tomorrow you may not…: face of Bengal’s strongmen

TMC worker: We are the grassroot

“Direct violence is the last resort… when we are forced to finish off one or two,” says the 34-year-old with no hint of irony, sitting on a bed at the house of a TMC leader. On a side table lie his sunglasses and three cell phones. The phones ring almost without a pause. He answers some, speaking in hushed tones.

After years of being a “mere political worker”, he is a gram panchayat candidate for the TMC. With the CPI(M) candidate withdrawing his nomination, the 34-year-old is now in a direct contest with the BJP candidate.

In the last elections, the TMC won nine out of 15 seats in this gram panchayat.

“Amra bazar kori, tarkari kati, netara khai. Ebar amra ranna korchi. Amra e khabo (we go to the market, chop vegetables and cook. Politicians eat. This time we will cook and we will eat),” says the 34-year-old of his debut electoral fight.

It’s a dangerous fight. “Today you see me, tomorrow you may not. I may be shot. Who knows? That is the nature of our work. This time, we have to not only ensure we ‘take care’ of the Opposition candidate, but of the rival faction of our party too. It is especially hectic now (during the polls) but we get work throughout the year too. Without us, there is no politics at the grassroot level,” he says.

Explaining the nature of his work, he says, “In any panchayat, there are three kinds of voters. Those who are diehard supporters, those who are yet to decide and those who are against us. We are given a list of voters and we dispense medicines, like doctors. Those who are against us get bitter medicines. The party handles the fence-sitters with care, in a soft manner, but later on, if they don’t turn toward us, they too get the medicine. You know what I mean when I say medicine, don’t you,” he says, smirking.

As a strongman-candidate, he says his job begins early in the election process. “The nomination period and the withdrawal period are vital to us. I have a team over 24 people and can hire more from outside if needed. We need manpower to block the BDO office and disallow opposition nominations. We mark their candidates closely and do the needful,” he says.

“In case some of them have submitted their nominations, we very politely ask them to withdraw and even offer money as compensation for their trouble. But if they don’t agree, then we have other ways,” he says.

The day before the elections is crucial, he says. That’s when they ensure that Opposition voters and neighbourhoods don’t move out of their homes during the day.

“In most cases, we have to do a few rounds of these areas, hurl a few bombs and make a few phone calls. That’s usually enough. We also ensure no Opposition agents are in the poll booth,” he says.

He says his team remains active, polls or no polls.

“My leader tells me what to do. He may send me and my boys to grab some land, evict a rival faction of the party from an area or assign any other work,” he says, adding he gets paid in advance.

“This work involves a lot of money – we need an advance of at least Rs 3-4 lakh. We have to hire people to make bombs, buy guns and bullets if needed. My team has enough guns. I give money to families of my team members too. Sometimes we are not paid in cash; we get some land or get a share in other deals. But that is rare,” he says.

The 34-year-old says his “career” began when he was in Class 12. “That year, police slapped a case against me for stealing some items from school, including the school bell. A local Congress leader helped me and my family. Then I got close to the leader and later got involved in politics,” he says, adding that he started working for the TMC in 2007.

Since then, he has been booked by the police in 36 cases, including under sections related to attempt to murder, arson, rioting and bombing, among others.

“But it is part and parcel of our business. Police still slap cases against us, though our party is in power. This is the mostly when police join hands with some of my enemies in my party,” he says.

He runs a grill manufacturing unit in the village, besides owning land and two houses.

“My wife and my son, who is in nursery, do not live with me. It is too risky. They live with my in-laws. My son goes to an English-medium CBSE school; I want him to get the best possible education,” he says.

BJP worker: ‘Will give them befitting reply’

About 50 km away, in the same district, the 30-year-old is bracing for a fight.

Sitting at a BJP leader’s house, with seven other young men hanging around, he says, “If they try to create violence on polling day, we will give them a befitting reply.”

He knows it’s an unequal fight. “When the police, administration, money and muscle are on the other side, what can we do? It’s only because of my leader, who takes care of youths like me, that I still work for him,” he says.

The gram panchayat is among a few in the state where the BJP has managed to put up candidates in all 15 seats.

The 30-year-old says he has been with his leader since 2011. “My leader was with the TMC from its very beginning, but when he joined the BJP in 2013, I followed him. Compared to the TMC, it is difficult for us to procure guns and bombs, but we manage to,” he says.

Since 2013, there have seven cases against him, including those related to arson, rioting and snatching.

“I was jailed thrice but managed to come out on bail in about 15-45 days. While I am in jail, my leader takes care of my legal expenses and my family. He too was jailed once,” says the 30-year-old who lives with his wife and three children.

“I dropped out of school after Class 2, but I have ensured my children go to school. I hope they never end up like me. To me, honestly, the work I do is all about survival,” he says.

His ‘leader’, a 50-year-old who is a candidate for the zilla parishad, says, “We know we will die one day. So, we don’t bother. After I quit the TMC in 2013, they sent me to jail in a drugs case. I was in jail for six months. But, they failed to stop us because I am not afraid to die. Also, I have people like him to support me,” he says patting the 30-year-old on his back. “I fight for them and they fight for me.”

The 50-year-old adds, “They tried to intimidate us, but that tactic failed and they are now distributing money to voters. I hear they will also try to capture the booth or change the ballot box. We are ready. We will guard the ballot box till counting is done.”