Congress gives up fight on some seats

KERALA ASSEMBLY POLL 2006

On Sunday evening, Burdwan came to a halt for over an hour as commerce and industry minister and CPI(M) candidate from Burdwan (South) Nirupam Sen led a rally of party workers through the town to mark the end of campaigning.

While the town went red, there was no sign of the Opposition Congress, no worker, no party symbol. Congress district office wore a deserted look. All you could see was an old man loitering at the entrance.

"Our candidate got Rs one lakh from the party but we will still win because people are upset with the government," explained the man, a senior Congress office-bearer, holding the key of the party office.

Nobody knew about the whereabouts of party candidate Rathindra Nath, waging a lone battle with the help of a handful of supporters, in the only vehicle the party could hire for campaigning.

The contrast showed the campaigning styles of the two parties. There was no sign of the Congress all along the 200 km drive from Kolkata to the rural hinterland of Burdwan. The red flag were all over the place, on buses, in the hands of sloganeering activists, and on two-wheelers.

The scene was markedly different in neighbouring Murshidabad, which was abuzz with Congress activists and vehicles. But for a different reason- they were working hard to defeat party candidates.

Congress MP from Berhampur Adhir Ranjan Choudhury had deployed all his resources to ensure the defeat of party candidate from Kandi and Congress Legislature Party leader Atish Sinha. Choudhury's supporters were campaigning for Independent candidate Apurba Sarkar, also a Congressman.

The candidature of Sinha, who is seeking a seventh consecutive win from here, was opposed by Choudhury. But Sinha got the ticket, thanks to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is an MP from Jangipur in Murshidabad.

Choudhury, also the district Congress chief, is gunning for another Congress candidate, Mayarani Pal, contesting from Berhampur: Independent candidate Manoj Chakraborty has the blessings of the MP.

Burdwan and Murshidabad districts, going to polls on Wednesday, are one of the few areas where the Congress had managed to hold on to during the three decades of Left rule.

Fiftyseven constituencies in three West Bengal districts will vote tomorrow.