Postal ballots suggest government staff back Trinamul

The state's ruling party party secured nearly 47 per cent of the votes cast

Mamata Banerjee on Sunday. : PTI

Pranesh Sarkar   |  TT  |  Calcutta   |   03.05.21  :  Trinamul secured nearly 47 per cent of the votes cast through postal ballots, suggesting state government employees backed Bengal’s ruling party despite a big disparity in dearness allowance between central and state government employees.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP got over 48 per cent votes through postal ballots.

Postal ballots were issued to state government employees engaged in poll duty and people aged above 80. As most aged voters voted in booths, most postal ballots came from state government employees, said a poll panel source. This year, nearly 6 lakh government employees received postal ballots.

Some government employees said the state had stood by them during the pandemic. The state government announced 3 per cent DA from January 2021, even as the Centre withheld the DA of central government employees since last year. Though central government employees get 17 per cent DA, the state government’s gesture made a difference.

“We want DA on a par with central government employees...But the way the state government stood by us during the pandemic, we did not hesitate to support Mamata Banerjee,” said an employee of land and land reforms department.

Mamata had also announced an insurance scheme of Rs 10 lakh for state government employees who fought the pandemic from the front. Lakhs of health workers, municipal workers and policemen gained from the scheme.

Some government employees also pointed out that they did not have confidence in the BJP’s promise to implement the Seventh Pay Commission if it came to power.

“The employees were not convinced with the announcement. Perhaps they did not trust the saffron party after the Centre withheld the DA for central government employees during the pandemic. Besides, the way the Centre has been divesting public sector units, state government employees here were really frightened,” said a source.