Sunday, October 13, 2024

South 24 Parganas are Trinamool fortress: Infiltrators, Rohingyas, Goons, Bombs all count





Sixteen assembly constituencies of South 24 Parganas, most notorious and impregnable fortress of Trinamool Congress (TMC) are so for a reason. They are densely population and highly infested by illegal infiltration. They go to polls on Tuesday. The first nine of these 16 seats are near the Bangladesh border: Kultali, Kulpi, Raidighi, Mandirbajar, Jaynagar, baruipur Purba, canning Paschim, Canning Purba, Baruipur Pashchim, Magrahat Purba, Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour, Falta, Satgachia and Bishnapur. 

This region has earned its stripes of notoriety for massive communal riots which have been a feature since 2012. South 24 Parganas alone held 25% of all major communal riots in West Bengal in this period. Riots wrecked assemblies like Canning, Magrahat Pashchim, Baruipur Pashchim, Falta and Metiaburuz. At the receiving end have largely been SC-ST and general non-Muslims of the region. 

Infiltration spells havoc at many layers. So steady and politically-patronized it is, that the original inhabitants end up appeasing these lobbies, both for existence and illegitimate earning which it bestows. Infiltration-industry is massive and corrupt and brings both Muslims and non-Muslims under its wing. A vicious cycle is thus formed which in turn is existential threat to SC-ST of South 24 Parganas. Non-Muslims are losing ground due to orchestrated, well-planned, politically-backed infiltration.

Sample this, in the words of a voter in Falta: “There’d be no election here. Jahangir would decide who’d vote and who’d not. Hindus of Falta won’t be able to reach corresponding booths.” 

Who is Jahangir? Allegedly a key terror-model of the ruling dispensation, the Yuva Trinamool, which is under direct control of Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Mamata Banerjee. Jahangir has a court order on a murder charge against hime yet he roams free. If Falta is notorious for bombs and arms storages, it couldn’t be without his collusion. In March, security forces recovered crude bombs in several places of South 24 Parganas: Bombs and arms are here aplenty. 

A viral video had shown Jahangir was  close not only to nephew Abhishek, but also his Pishi who wanted Jahangir to ‘operate’ in Canning too along with Falta. Another old TMC leader, Bhaktaram Mondal, hardly responded to any of my questions over phone. Tongue-tied of terror. Such people have lost hope for any kind of electoral changes. Sources informed many people of different assemblies of South 24 Parganas are already being displaced from their home stations so that they may not turn up to vote.

TMC goons in Canning Purba pelted stones towards CRPF on April 4. Another one near Bangladesh border, this infiltration-infested constituency is represented by TMC MLA Saokat Molla who screamed “people would beat BJP men black-n-blue on sight” justifying stone-attack on J P Nadda’s convoy in Diamond Harbour Road on December 10, 2020. Men like Jahangir would need due attention of Election Commission so as to enable genuine voters to exercise their rights. Against Saokat Molla, BJP has fielded Kalipada Naskar while Abbas Siddiqui’s Party has fielded Gazi Sahabuddin Siraz. 

In February 2021, Mamata Banerjee vocally challenged BJP from her Rally at Pailan—“Fight my nephew first, then come to me”. The statement was in direct support of Abhishek Banerjee and his fleet’s reign of terror.

On March 28, 2021 a video went viral on Social Media that seemingly contained Mamata Banerjee’s instruction to Mathurapur Loksabha kshetra’s TMC MP C. M. Jatua to burry BJP candidate of Mandirbajar assembly constituency, Dilip Jatua, into the ground. This was followed by Deepak Halder, BJP candidate in Diamond Harbour, badly thrashed by goons on April 2. He had to be hospitalized. 

During the 2019 Loksabha Election in Diamond Harbour, a war-call was given from a local mosque against local Hindus. A communal riot ensued. 

Common people of South 24 Parganas expect goons to learn necessary lessons, but can’t believe that would ever happen. No amount of violence would perhaps come as surprise unless and until Election Commission could pull a rabbit out of a hat as far South 24 Parganas are concerned. 

Baruipur Purba is an assembly that homes Rohingyas. Hardaha village of the constituency is an illegal entry-point of Rohingyas in West Bengal from Bangladesh via waterways. Mohammad Kamruzzaman is reportedly ‘in-charge’ of Rohingya-import in South Bengal. On March 20, 2018, he threatened to bring West Bengal to a dead halt if anyone dared to protest against Rohingyas’ accommodation in the state. 

Following this on March 29, Anandabazar Patrika reported 60,000 more Rohingyas were held on the river border awaiting entry to the State. The same Mohammad Kamruzzaman has now turned into a ‘Muslim Intellectual’ whom Sujan Chakraborty of CPM met in a formal gathering of Muslim intellectuals in the pre-poll phase. As reported by Times of India, EC’s vigil recovered huge number of bombs in Narendrapur P.S. under Baruipur Police District on March 27-28 at a bamboo-fenced tile shed room beside Bheri at Kantipota, Kheadaha. This is the place where Rohingyas are based at.

The BJP’s vote share though, despite these odds, have steadily grown in these constituencies. 

Constituency

Growth in BJP Votes in 2019 LS over 2016 VS

Mandirbajar SC

34.4%

Magrahat Purba SC

27.86%

Magrahat Pashchim 

23.95%

Jaynagar SC 

29.37%

Baruipur Purba SC 

28.6%

Baruipur Pashchim 

23.44%

Kultali SC 

33.64%

Kulpi 

32.17%

Raidighi 

37.84%

Canning Purba

0% (82% TMC Vote)

Canning Pashchim SC 

31.93%

Satgachia 

30.36%

Bishnupur SC 

27%

Diamondharbour 

28.36%

Basanti SC

24.25%

Falta 

28%

Yet, it’s a fact that there is a huge gap between Trinamool and BJP’s vote share. Only in Raidighi, the gap was pretty narrow in TMC’s favour. In Baruipur Pashchim, BJP claimed 5.44% TMC vote share. Still, as 2019 Lok Sabha polls revealed, BJP’s vote share had grown at the cost of Left or Congress. 

Howrah

Both Uluberia Uttar and Uluberia Dakshin had given significant vote growth to BJP in 2019 General Polls. Both are SC dominated and aggrieved primarily due to non-receipt of central projects’ funds. Corruption-tainted Nirmal Maji of Trinamool may be defeated by BJP this year in Uttar. TMC’s vote share eroded in 2019 Loksabha in Uluberia Dakshin from its own vote share in 2016 reflecting general dissent. In Bagnan, Amta and Udaynarayanpur, BJP claimed significant vote growth in 2019 Lok Sabha with respect to 2016 assembly polls. However, TMC too grew its vote share in all 3 assemblies in 2019 as compared to 2016. Bagnan, Amta and Udaynarayanpur this year may go to Trinamool while Shyampur and Jagatballavpur could vote in Saffron party’s favour. 

Hooghly

Hooghly in general may elect BJP. General dissent of people on the ground is too high against Trinamool. Keeping in view PM Modi’s presence in places of Hooghly, especially in Tarakeswar and the promises it has held forth, BJP is likely to sweep Hooghly district. 

Election Date

Constituency No.

Constituency Name

District

06.04.2021

 

31 Assemblies

128

Basanti

South 24 Parganas

 

16 Assemblies out of 31 Total

129

Kultali 

133

Kulpi 

134

Raidighi 

135

Mandirbazar 

136

Jaynagar 

137

Baruipur Purba

138

Canning Pashchim

139

Canning Purba

140

Baruipur Pashchim

141

Magrahat Purba

142

Magrahat Pashchim

143

Diamond Harbour

144

Falta

145

Satgachia

146

Bishnupur

177

Uluberia Uttar

Howrah

7 Assemblies out of 16 Total

 

178

Uluberia Dakshin

179

Shyampur 

180

Bagnan 

181

Amta 

182

Udaynarayanpur 

183

Jagatballavpur 

195

Jangipara 

Hooghly 

8 Assemblies out of 18 Total

196

Haripal 

197

Dhanekhali 

198

Tarakeswar 

199

Pursurah 

200

Arambagh 

201

Goghat 

202

Khanakul 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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