BJP makes a mark in the former Maoist belt of Bengal

In the former Maoist belt of Jangalmahal, where Trinamool Congress had established its influence after routing the Left Front in May 2011, saffron is making its mark even amid overwhelming dominance of the ruling party.

BJP came a close second to Trinamool Congress in this region. Till 6:30 pm its victories in Purulia, Jhargram, West Midnapore and Bankura districts accounted for nearly 40% of the total seats that the party won across the state.

Significantly, this is a region dominated by tribal people.

“We campaigned against the facts that those who had terrorised the area as Maoists were now ruling the area as Trinamool. Moreover, Trinamool’s corruption, nepotism and highhandedness had left the ground fertile for a surge against this regime,” said Sukhamay Satpathy, BJP’s Jhargram district president.

Dealing Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee a rude shock in the area she has been most sensitive about, the saffron camp bagged 626 seats against Trinamool’s 748, in Purulia, till 6pm.

Of the 780 gram panchayat seats in Jhargram where contests took place, BJP won 321.

Sankrail in Jhargram, which hit the headlines in 2009 when Maoists abducted the officer in-charge after killing two policemen during an attack on the police station, saw a saffron surge with BJP registering convincing victory in all three-tiers.

Bhimpur panchayat within Salboni panchayat samiti area, West Midnapore district, was a stronghold of the Maoists. The panchayat’s chief during 2008-2013, who was often accused of hobnobbing with Maoists, was elected as Salboni MLA in 2011 and 2016. Now, Trinamool has been routed from Bhimpur, with BJP bagging 9 out of 12 seats. Of the total 10 gram panchayats in Salboni, BJP has bagged four.

“It appears there were public grievances against lower-level workers of our party,” Srikanta Mahato said.

BJP has also captured the panchayats at Binpur, Belatikri, Sijua and Ramgarh – all in Lalgarh area where the Maoists had curved out ‘a state within a state’ during 2009-2010. The party has also wrested the panchayats in erstwhile Maoists hotbeds of Pingboni, Jirapara, Makli and Amlashuli.

Asked why the party fared so poorly in what was considered one of the strongest bastions of Trinamool, West Midnapore district president of the party, Ajit Maiti, snapped the line.

“We campaigned against the facts that those who had terrorised the area as Maoists were now ruling the area as Trinamool. Moreover, Trinamool’s corruption, nepotism and highhandedness had left the ground fertile for a surge against this regime,” said Sukhamay Satpathy, BJP’s Jhargram district president.