Same name, same GP seat

Manas Banerjee

MALDA, May 8: Two housewives sharing the same name are contesting against each other in a gram panchayat seat. Adding to the confusion, they are both canvassing for the same Congress candidate for a Zilla Parishad seat. That's rural politics for you.Mrs Smritikana Mandal, wife of Mr Anil Mandal, is contesting as a Congress candidate for one seat of Bilaimari gram panchayat in Ratua-I block. Another woman, Mrs Smritikana Mandal, wife of Mr Dinesh Mandal, is contesting as an Independent in the same seat to prove she is the original Congress candidate after being denied nomination by the party here. Interestingly, Mr Dinesh Mandal is the younger brother of Mr Anil Mandal and the two families live in the same courtyard of Bilaimari village. Still both candidates are canvassing for themselves.Though the two woman are contesting against each other, they are seen soliciting votes for one Congress candidate for the Zilla Parishad, Mr Soumitra Roy, who is the outgoing office bearer of the Malda Zilla Parishad (MZP), so the Congress can retain the Malda ZP.The erosion hit the village of Bilaimari, which is located in northern part of this district on the bank of Fulhar river under the number 17 Malda Zilla Parishad segment, is the seat from where Mr Roy is contesting for the second time. Though there is no specific rural poll issues for the two women candidates who are fighting against each other, Mr Roy has specifically raised the issue of "more development" in the area after fulfilling some basic amenities for the local people of Bilaimari area.Five years ago, on the issue of development, Mr Roy had canvassed for votes from the people urging them to oust the CPI-M from Malda Zilla Parishad terming it a "corrupted" board. His nearest rival candidate, who belongs to the RSP and backed by the CPI-M, is Mr Abdur Rahim Boxi, who has raised the issue of "corruption" against the Malda Zilla Parishad run by the Congress, BJP and the Trinamul in the last five years.Interestingly, another Left Front candidate, Sheikh Naimuddin belonging to the CPI, is contesting in this seat against both the Congress and the RSP candidates. The district LF leadership has failed to bring total unity here. The Congress candidate Mr Soumitra Roy is trying hard to cash-in this disunity factor. He alleges that "the RSP candidate is luring voters by offering them jobs in ICDS" (Integrated Child Development Scheme). Besides ICDS, the adamant RSP candidate Mr Boxi has no other way to take on the Congress candidate who had been instrumental in building several roads and setting up tube wells in his segment during the last five years, Congress leaders say.