Trinamool infighting may give alliance edge in North Bengal

Pramod Giri, HT, 24 April, Siliguri: Will the Left FrontCongress alliance marginalise the Trinamool Congress in the 54 Assembly seats spread over seven districts of North Bengal?

If Opposition leaders are to be believed, then the factionalism in the ruling Trinamool would prove beneficial for alliance candidates. And many ruling party leaders agreed that factionalism has put the party’s otherwise sure seats in limbo.

Out of 45 seats in the six districts of North Bengal, which went to polls on April 17, the Trinamool won 12 seats in 2011 and the Congress 16. The Left Front won 12 seats, GJM got three and Independents won two.

Going by the 2011 election results, the Trinamool had emerged as the strongest political force in Dakshin Dinajpur where it won five of the six seats. Although this time, too, political pundits give benefit of doubt to the ruling party, the Trinamool workers are not confident. They feel factionalism could affect their fortunes.

Though Shankar Chakraborty, Biplab Mitra and Satyendra Nath Roy, the three senior leaders in Dakshin Dinajpur district, put up a united effort during election campaigns, the fact that the three different lobbies are ambitious and want to put the other in bad light could have damaged the party’s winning prospect, said a district leader.

The three seats of Gangarampur represented by Satyendra Nath Roy, Balurghart represented by Shank ar Chakbarorty and Harirampur represented by Biplab Mitra were being considered winnable seats by Trinamool. But a section of the party workers feel the party might also lose these seats. Uttar Dinajpur is a Congress stronghold. Trinamool district committee president Amal Acharya said, “We will win at least six of the nines seats. Trinamool will win Islampur, Itahar, Goalpokhar, Karanmdigi and Hemtabad segments.” But the party’s grassroots-level leaders and Opposition opine that the alliance partners would win Raiganj, Hemtabad, Chakulia and Kalianganj seats and there will be a tough fight in five seats. Darjeeling district with six Assembly seats might emerge as the most difficult political terrain for the ruling party. Contesting in five of the six seats, Trinamool can be hopeful only in Siliguri and Phasidewa seats.

In Jalpaiguri district, Trinamool is hoping to win Rajganj, Mainaguri, DabgramFulbari seats. The Opposition is in an advantageous position in the remaining four seats.

In Alipurduar district’s five seats, the BJP and the alliance partners might give the ruling party a run for its money in Madarihat, Kalchini and Kumargram seats. Trinamool hopes to retain Falakata and win Alipurduar.