Murshidabad: Prestige battle for Mamata as she tries to wrest Cong stronghold

In the three Lok Sabha seats in the minority-dominated district Murshidabad, the elections have become a "prestige battle" for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is trying to make inroads into what has been a Congress stronghold for 20 years now. The three seats in the district vote in two phases. While Jangipur (currently held by Congress) and Murshidabad (CPI-M) go to polls on April 23, the Berhampore constituency (Congress) will vote on April 29.

"For Mamata," says Mohammad Rafiq, a resident of Murshidabad and a traditional Congress voter, "the district is a prestige issue. She wants these three seats." Chief Minister Banerjee has been making efforts to wrest it from the Congress, whose strongman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has managed to keep her at bay. Banerjee has entrusted her most trusted lieutenant, Haldia strongman Suvendu Adhikari, to manage election in the district.

The Congress worker quoted above says if the chief minister has to impress the voters here she has to address issues such as unemployment, education and roads. "We are not of course listening to her. She has to talk to us as human beings and not vote banks. Does she think that linking Congress to the RSS will have our community running to her? Are we fools? Why cannot she address our issues? Unemployment, education, roads? This won't work here," he says.

But Abu Taher Khan, former Congress MLA and once a Chowdhury confidant who is now contesting on a TMC ticket from Murshidabad constituency, exudes confidence his party will win a "100 per cent". Voters of the three seats concur the fight here is between Banerjee and Chowdhury.

Banerjee in her campaigns in these three seats has launched "personal" attacks on Chowdhury -- accusing him of being backed by the RSS and also questioning him for not naming his first wife in his affidavit. Chowdhury reads "desperation" in her moves.

"She herself joined hands with the BJP when it suited her. What right does she have to even raise this issue? The only thing it shows that now she is so desperate that she is saying and doing anything to get the Muslim votes," he says at his Berhampore party office. Murshidabad has a 60 per cent Muslim population and has traditionally favoured the Congress. It is this Muslim population that Banerjee and Chowdhury are banking on to see them through.

"In Murshidabad, Hindus are largely voting for the BJP, no doubt about that. Each one of us will vote for them. However, only our votes cannot ensure victory," said Sumit Sinha, a businessman in Bali in Murshidabad. This explains the need to mobilise the Muslim votes, with the TMC talking about its major schemes for the minority community and its efforts to give representation to Muslims, from panchayat to parliament.

In the 2016 assembly elections, the Congress won 14 of 22 assembly seats from Murshidabad, while the TMC and the CPI(M) won four each. The Congress garnered 39.8 per cent vote share, the Left Front came second with 28.9 per cent, while the TMC managed 19.3 per cent. Banerjee knows this is perhaps the last mountain for her to climb in the state to ensure marginalisation of the Congress in West Bengal.

"Adhir might be representing the Berhampore seat, but he keeps a keen eye on the entire district. He has really worked here. Through the year, he can be seen moving around the district, talking to people, that is a great advantage. We see him here," said Afroz Islam, who runs a tea stall in Bahalnagar, which is a village in Jangipur. However, not all seem to be well with the Congress here.

As is the case almost across the state, the party is not only losing its cadre base here but even its leaders. Stung by defections, mostly to the TMC, the party is struggling to keep its flock together. In fact, two of the Trinamool's three Lok Sabha candidates in the Murshidabad district seats are ex-Congressmen.

Trinamool's Apurba Sarkar, once Chowdhury's right-hand man is contesting the polls from Berhampore and has no qualms about taking on his mentor, accusing him of "maintaining political double standards" by "secretly joining hands" with both BJP and Left Front. Abu Taher Khan, a former Congress MLA who was once a Chowdhury confidant, is now contesting on a TMC ticket from Murshidabad though his influence is restricted to Berhampore, outside which he has no recall value among the people. However, he is confident of a TMC victory in the seat.

"TMC will win 100 per cent here," he said. Banerjee might be accused of appeasing Muslims, but it seems she doesn't hold much sway in a district which has the most Muslims population in the state. Despite chinks in the Congress organisational structure, they seem they have determined to stay with the party.

"Congress candidates in the region rely heavily on Chowdhury. What has Abhijit Mukherjee (sitting Jangipur MP) done for us? He is never seen here. He is here only during elections," says Mustafa Khan, speaking of the Congress candidate from Jangipur. But Chowdhury is confident of retaining both Jangipur and Berhampore and wresting Murshidabad from the CPI(M).

"I am not worried. I have worked here for years. I am confident of a huge victory. The diatribe of Banerjee will not work here," he said.