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The conflict between commercial activities and welfare of Jarawa tribes is one of the key poll issues in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is witnessing a fierce fight among five major parties, including debutant AAP, for this lone Lok Sabha seat going to polls tomorrow.
The issue remains so critical that parties like Congress and BJP have promised removal of Buffer Zone notification to give a boost to tourism activities in the islands. The notification bans all sorts of commercial activities in the demarcated areas around the Jarawa Tribal Reserve area.
About a year ago, the administration even closed the Andaman Trunk Road which connects the North and Middle parts of the islands with capital Port Blair following the directions of Supreme Court.
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But in light of persistent demands by political parties and islanders, the administration moved court for a relaxation to open the road for public use till the completion of an alternative sea route, but with stricter restrictions to protect the Jarawa tribals.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been strong hold of Congress, which has won all the polls since 1977 but for two elections when BJP managed to beat it in 1999 and 2009.
Out of a total population of 3.79 lakh in the islands, there are 2.67 lakh voters.
Sitting MP and BJP candidate Bishnu Pada Ray, who defeated his Congress rival Kuldeep Rai Sharma in 2009 by a margin of just 2,900 votes, had relied heavily on support in the Bengali-majority areas of North and Middle Andaman districts up to Diglipur.
Most of the voters from the Bengali settler community here are believed to be supporters of former Congress MP Manoranjan Bhakta. But Ray managed to get more Bengali votes in North and Middle Andaman in the last elections after Bhakta started an anti-Congress campaign when the party denied him a poll ticket.
This time, Trinamool Congress is looking to cash in on Bhakta's support base and has fielded his daughter Anita Mondal as its candidate here.
