Music for Mamata's ears: Babul Supriyo out of tune with Asansol voters

Missing Babul

Supriyo had defeated Trinamool Congress’s Dola Sen for that Lok Sabha seat by a margin of close to 70,000 votes in 2014. But just a year hence, the surge of popularity for Supriyo - aided in big measure by the Modi wave - seems to have ebbed away from the industrial town of Asansol.

“Moloy Ghatak is the man to vote for,” says Sanjay Das, referring to TMC’s candidate from Asansol North. “Supriyo is hardly seen. The opposition (MLA Nirmal Karmakar, BJP) isn’t bad but Ghatak has been seen with the people and TMC has done work in the region.” Das runs a local garage business and says it’s only fair for people to vote for those who create a difference on the ground that can be seen - even if that difference is set against the backdrop of syndicate raj or coal mafia allegations against the TMC.

Javed Sheikh, a car mechanic in the area says that, “TMC has done the most for us. The CPM didn’t do anything for 34 years, now the TMC will stay for at least fifty if all goes well.” He isn’t just voting for the party though - he’s voting for Ghatak who, says Sheikh, has done a fair bit for development in the area.

“Woh apne ghar ka hai, jab bulao chale aata hai (He’s one of our own, he’s always there when we need him),” says Sheikh. What about BJP’s candidate? “Nirmal Karmakar is their man. Woh toh faaltu ka chilla raha hai, kuch nahi hoga (he’s screaming uselessly, nothing will come off it).”

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Doesn’t Babul Supriyo give the region a leg-up when it comes to ground work? “He lives in Delhi and hardly comes, what will he do?” he laughs before adding, “There’s no scope for BJP here or in West Bengal”. As far as the news of TMC’s association with syndicates are concerned, Sheikh says they are election issues which will be forgotten post elections. “Instead of those things, why don’t you look around at the work that’s been done here?”

Tuntun Halder, 61, a private car driver, shows a few of TMC’s achievement’s in the area, on the way to Budha football ground where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to address the crowds. “BJP doesn’t stand a chance, and Supriyo hasn’t been able to address our causes. TMC has done their bit. Kazi Nazrul University, Ondal airport, Kanyashree scheme, giving cycles, a police station run by women only, a lot of things.”

TMC's achievements

The Kazi Nazrul University, located at the Asansol polo grounds has Masters courses only at the moment, says the registrar. Established in 2012, he says it has 26 professors and close to 500 students spanning 13 departments. The student wing of the building is situated close by and there are few students to be seen. But a caretaker in the building informs that “it’s a holiday today, so not many have turned up.”

Mamata’s Asansol speech was almost a reproduction of what Sheikh, Halder and others had to say about TMC. “I’ve given rice at Rs 2 per kg, Kanyashree scheme for young women...” Didi said from the stage.

What’s perhaps a bit unique is Mamata’s appeal among the youth. Samin Iqbal is just 17 but he knows he’s voting for TMC and Mamata when his turn comes. He lives in a neighbourhood called ‘rail paar’ - a Muslim colony mostly. Iqbal says that he has a sister at home who’s happy with the Kanyashree scheme. She even got a bicycle - under Mamata’s “sabuj saathi” scheme. “In our colony, our family and elders are all going to vote for TMC,” he says.

If this is the general sentiment of people, Supriyo has his task cut out - and certainly Karmakar, who’s the candidate. But it’s the slightest of chinks in the armour that go unnoticed which might yet swing it in BJP’s favour.

Sabotage?

“You’ll see how Mamata is given a nice surprise when BJP wins,” says a twenty-something guy - in TMC colours. Refusing to identify himself, he says the TMC wave is a farce before starting to cheer for Mamata again.

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“TMC’s own people are going to vote for the BJP to make sure Moloy loses.” says Kanchan S who works with a prominent Kolkata-based English language daily.

Why such a sabotage? “People have a grudge against him.” It’s said that during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Supriyo defeated TMC’s Dola Sen primarily because Ghatak was feeling sidelined over his inferior role in the party and refused to cooperate. As Sen went on to lose, Ghatak was inducted back as the main candidate in the party. But party loyalists haven’t forgotten the incident, says the scribe.

Possible deal-breaker

“Put that banner down,” a TMC worker shouted at a group of women at the rally. Within minutes, before you could see what the matter was, Mamata Didi zindabaad drowned everything else again. All back to normal.

Turns out it was a banner asking for employment for ex-employees of Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), the prominent steel firm in Burnpur, Asansol. Ex-employee of IISCO and now secretary with the Asansol Iron & Steel Workers' Union, 65-year-old Vijay Singh says that back in 2006 farm land from nearby villages in Asansol was acquired by the government for expansion of the steel plant.

“Those who lost their land were promised jobs. 178 people were trained and they got jobs but over 450 still remain unemployed. Babul Supriyo said he will work for us because he’s connected to the centre but later he said he’s not getting funds or something,” says Singh.

So who are he and his companions going to vote for? The man with central connections or local lad Ghatak?

“Initially we thought we’ll boycott the elections but decided against it. There’s a meeting of this unemployed group today (10 April),” says Singh. “It will be decided then. Personally I’ll go with Ghatak as I think he will help us, but let’s wait and watch.”

Edited by Aditya Menon

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