Voting on ethnic lines in Alipurduars

With the regional politics polarised since Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's demand for Gorkhaland, voters of ethnically diverse Alipurduar Lok Sabha seat are likely cast votes on ethnic lines. 

The safe seat of RSP which the party has won since 1977, would face stiff competition from Trinamool Congress because of TC alliance with the Congress, analysts said.On the other hand, RSP witnessed more than 5% drop in the winning candidate Joachim Baxla's vote from 1999 to last parliamentary polls in 2004.

Baxla resigned from the party and Lok Sabha after being denied a ticket this time. His decision to stand as an Independent candidate would cut votes from RSP candidate and West Bengal minister of state for PWD, Manohar Tirkey, observers said.In 1999, RSP candidate Joachin Baxla got 51.25 % votes, while it came down to 45.70 % with 384,252 votes in 2004.

Trinamool Congress (TC) candidate Paban Lakra is banking on the combined opposition vote in 2004. The combined votes of Congress and BJP, backed by TC,  stood at 48.6 % with 408,627 votes.

Some local issues like improper irrigation, non-availability of fertiliser and lack of rural electrification would apparently decide the fate of the candidates in Balurghat Lok Sabha seat of South Dinajpur district going to polls on April 30.

Inadequate minimum support price for paddy and Sachar Committee report citing lack of development among Muslims are also likely to take the wind out the sail of Left Front partner RSP, political observers feel. 

"These are allegations of Congress and Trinamool Congress combine. But, people would vote us for our staying with them throughout the years. Opposition candidates surface only during polls to seek votes," RSP candidate, Prasanta Majumdar said.

RSP has been winning the seat since 1977. Sitting RSP MP Ranen Barman got 415,298 votes accounting for 44.87 per cent of total votes in last LS polls.Opposition BJP and Congress candidates together bagged 463,256 votes, which was more than half of the total votes. In 2004, BJP was backed by Trinamool Congress which joined Congress's hands this year and has put up Biplab Mitra as their candidate. 

TC and Congress have regained much of their lost ground in last year's panchayat polls by winning Buniadpur and Harirampur panchayat samities, which represent almost two assembly segments, respectively. 

TC won a number of gram panchayats in Gangarampur assembly segment.The loss of red bastion, Gajol assembly segment and inclusion of anti-Left Itahar and Harirampur assembly seats to to Balurghat L S seat after delimitation has bettered chances of TC candidate in this polls, observers feel.    

However, local CPI-M leaders who are backing RSP's Majumdar blamed the Centre for the simmering anger among the rural voters over minimum support price for paddy.

"This anger among voters would not help TC candidate in the polls. Centre has fixed the minimum support price but they have not taken the responsibility of procurement from farmers," CPI-M leader Sisir Dey said.       

However, farmers are not ready to listen.

"State government failed to curb hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers. We are forced to sell the crops at a lower price, sometimes making a loss," Sabirul Islam, a farmer said.

TC candidade Biplab Mitra has urged the people to vote in his favour to get addressed their grievances in Parliament.Rail link with Buniadpur-Kaliaganj for a smooth journey to Siliguri and Assam and extension of rail track to Hilli to facilitate export with Bangladesh have been other long-standing demands of the people here.

However, BJP's decision to consider the demand for Gorkhaland carving out a large area of Alipurduar and putting up Jaswant Singh from nearby Darjeeling LS constituency has turned a sizeable number of voters against the party as they are opposed to the idea of forming a separate state, observers said.      

Besides, with a large number of Adivasis, who are tea garden workers and traditionally voted for Left Front candidates, have already decided to boycott polls for lack of development to make the contest more challenging for Tirkey. 

Another faction of tribals, Adivasi Vikas Parishad, however, has been backing Joachim Baxla much to the chagrin of RSP's Tirkey. Observers also feel that other ethnic groups like Gorkha, Kamtapuri and Rajbanshis will vote to their respective candidates contesting as Independents.      

But, TC candidate Lakra has been blaming the LF Government for the closed tea gardens and growing unemployment among the locals. 

However, LF leaders have been emphasising that only 13 out of 153 tea gardens of Dooars remained closed and the Centre is responsible for the miserable condition of the tea industry. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has also blamed the Centre for the poor plight of the tea gardens in north Bengal and Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency.

TC leader Mamata Banerjee, during her poll rally blamed LF leaders for "unleashing terror" and closed down tea gardens for petty gains of the trade union leaders.Other candidates include Elias Narjinary (BSP), Manoj Tigga (BJP), Bilkan Bara (Samajwadi Jan Parishad) and Independents like Kamal Lama, Thaddeus Lakra and Pauldexion Khariya.