Tea Gardens, Former Enclaves Will Vote In Bengal’s 1st Phase

Kolkata: The residents of the former 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in Cooch Behar district, who formally became Indian citizens on August 1, 2015, and later cast their votes twice in 2016 – first in the Assembly polls, and then in the Lok Sabha bypoll will for the first time, be voting to play a role in government formation at the Centre.

Despite visible signs of development, the dwellers have been complaining of a dearth of jobs, while many of those who chose to migrate to Cooch Behar from the Indian enclaves in Bangladesh territory are yet to get their promised land and are forced to stay in detention camps.

On April 11, when the two northern Bengal seats Cooch Behar and Alipurduar go to the hustings, the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal would be banking on its organisational strength and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's popularity to checkmate a resurgent BJP and traditional powerhouse Left Front.

From lush green tea gardens to former Bangladesh enclaves, Cooch Behar stands out for its topographical diversity. Erstwhile ruling Left Front partner All India Forward Bloc had a stranglehold over the seat from 1977 to 2009, winning it ten times at a stretch.

The AIFB’s undefeated run came to an end in 2014, when the Trinamool snatched the seat, and repeated its success in a by-poll two years later after the death of the sitting MP, Renuka Sinha.

Though the AIFB finished second in 2014, the BJP emerged as a surprise runner up in 2016 by bagging over 28 per cent of the votes. The once formidable AIFB came up a poor third managing a pathetic 6.49 per cent votes, with its candidate forfeiting the security deposit.

This time, the Trinamool has nominated a former All India Forward Bloc leader and ex minister in the Left Front government Paresh Adhikari, hoping to grab a slice of the Left’s captive votes.

The BJP nominee, Nisith Pramanik, is also a turncoat, having been a youth Trinamool leader till the party expelled him last year.

The AIFB has nominated Gobinda Roy, while Piya Roy Chowdhury is fighting on a Congress ticket.

Organised tea garden workers and their dependents form a sizeable chunk of voters in Cooch Behar and about 50 per cent of the electorate in Alipurduar. (IANS)

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