"Forgotten" Nandigram stands divided between its favourite Mamata and Suvendu

Two large cut-outs of WestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari adorning opposite sides of the streetin Tengua bazar of Nandigram sum up the prevailing politicalmood of the area which is hogging national limelight followingthe former's announcement of her candidature from here.

The obscure Nandigram village that shook the base of mightyLeft regime and became a bastion of the TMC 14 years ago, nowstands divided between its favourite ''Didi and Dada'' amidspeculations of Banerjee taking on her trusted lieutenant inthe anti-land acquisition movement, Suvendu Adhikari.

Though, the BJP is yet to take a call on fielding Suvendufrom Nandigram which he represented in the assembly beforequitting after joining BJP,the dashing leader has expressedwillingness to take on the challenge and defeat Banerjee inthe polls.

Many locals in the cradle of change, Nandigram, werefeeling 'disenchanted and forgotten' and yearning for anotherchange till a few months back.

But, with the announcement of Banerjee's candidature andAdhikari, a political heavyweight of the region, who hadswitched over to the BJP vowing to defeat her, has put theentire East Midnapore district,especially Nandigram,on edge.

''The people of Nandigram are not very happy with the TMCand also have grievances against Mamata di as she hardlyvisits Nandigram. Had there been any other candidate of theTMC, the defeat would have been imminent.'' But, there is a section of the people who have a soft cornerfor the TMC chief.

''We can't forget the tough days of the movement when she andSuvendu da were our only saviours,'' Anisur Mondal, asharecropper who was part of the Bhumi Ucched PratirodhCommittee (BUPC), said.

Mondal's views were echoed by local BJP leader SabujPradhan,who agreed that Banerjee's poll announcement is likelyto change the social-political equations on the ground level.

''Till last month the situation in Nandigram was not infavour of the TMC. It will be a divided house if both MamataBanerjee and Suvendu Adhikari contest from Nandigram assembly.

''If one of them pull out from the contest, the electionswill swing easily the other way,'' Pradhan, a former Congressleader and part of BUPC,who had recently joined the BJP, said.

Banerjee and Adhikari were heroes of the Nandigram movement.

The feisty TMC boss was its guiding spirit, while Adhikariwas her general on the ground,holding protests against the SEZwhere Indonesia's Salim group wanted to set up a chemical hub.

But,after Adhikari jumped the ship,several villages overnightswitched sides, and the rival camps took over party offices.

Even as Gokulpur, Gokulnagar, Gopimohanpur, Adhikaripari,Heria have turned into strongholds of Adhikari, Sonachura,Haripur, Khejuri, Brindaban Chak, Daudpur, Tekhali remainsbastion of the TMC.

Sixty-year old Kanchan Mal of Gokulpur village, who wasinjured during the agitation and her house was set on fire,said despite the anger against the TMC, ''both Mamata di andSuvendu babu are like son and daughter of Nandigram. It willbe a tough choice for us.'' ''Both of them had come to my mud house during 2007-08.

Although Didi never came after she became the Chief Minister,Suvendu babu was in touch with us for all these years,'' shetold this visiting PTI reporter.

Local SUCI(C) leader Bhabani Prasad Das feels its a 60:40fight in favour of the BJP, after Adhikari joined them.

But, after Banerjee throwing her hat into the ring, it canbe anybody's game.

''It is now a 50:50 game. But, having said that BJP stillhas a slight edge due to the communal polarisation,'' Das said.

Nandigram assembly constituency has around 70 per centHindus, while Muslims account for the rest.

The TMC, however, disagreed that the entire Hindu populationwould vote for the BJP as Banerjee's ''appeal go beyondpolitical and religious affiliations''.

Fourteen years since Nandigram became a TMC stronghold,social disparity, development and, fortune for a ''selectedfew'' have not only angered the locals but also forced someof them to think of an alternative.

The BJP had in 2014 Lok Sabha polls secured 6 per centvotes in Tamluk but in 2016 during a bypoll on this seat, thesaffron party bagged nearly 16 per cent votes. In the 2019 LokSabha polls the saffron party got 36 per cent votes.

''What did we get out of the anti-land acquisition movement?We were used as pawns in the political fight. Some people madea huge fortune, and we still live in abject poverty. Had therebeen an industry, we would have got jobs. Now we have nothing,our children are forced to live in other states,'' says GokulJana, a farmer who was part of the BUPC.

''We all fought the battle, but some of them made hugefortunes after the party came to power and people like usstill live in abject poverty. Even post-Amphan local TMCleaders siphoned off funds, and those who were affected didnot get anything. We feel betrayed,'' said Abhiram, a TMCactivist of Adhikaripara.

Although there has been development in the area such asavailability of drinking water,100 per cent electrification,bridges, metalled roads, hospitals and schools, but lack ofemployment opportunities and the alleged corruption by someTMC leaders seems to have angered the masses.

The district TMC leadership,however,says its due to ''resultof a misinformation campaign by the BJP''.

''There are indeed some allegations, but most of them whowere involved in corruption have either been thrown out of theparty or has left for the BJP with Suvendu.

''With Mamata di fighting from Nandigram, we would win theelections hands down,'' said local TMC leader and EastMidnapore deputy chairman of Zilla Parishad Sheikh Sufiyan.

BJP Tamluk district general secretary Gour Hari Maity toldPTI people wish to oust the corrupt TMC from the area.