Krishnanagar: Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district goes to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election.
Though the ruling Trinamool Congress is hoping to retain the seat for the third consecutive term, it is on a shaky ground with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having made significant inroads into the district riding high on the Narendra Modi factor.
Actor-turned politician and Krishnanagar’s two-time MP Tapas Paul had initially been able to charm voters with his off-screen persona, but that magic did not last long as he got embroiled into the Rs 17,000-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam during his second term.
Paul was arrested by the CBI in December 2016 and was released on bail after 13 months. The investigating agency had alleged that Paul was in the board of directors in two Rose Valley firms and received remuneration while he was a parliamentarian.
This, coupled with his comments in a public rally threatening CPI(M) cadres with murdering them and raping their women, did not go down well even with the TMC leadership.
A section of people in Krishnanagar are also unhappy that Paul has not worked for the welfare of his constituency. This is where the BJP has scored in the urban pockets of Nadia district —playing the development card.
Observers feel the saffron party stands a good chance here, though the Trinamool can still put up a good fight.
“The BJP is powerful in Krishnanagar, but former national footballer Kalyan Chowbey as a candidate is not that strong, though he might be popular. TMC’s Mohua Moitra, on the other hand, is an excellent nominee. I think she will win because of the support from her party and the drawback of the BJP candidate,” says Udayan Bandhopadhyay, a political analyst, adding, “In the adjacent constituency of Ranaghat, which is in the same district, the saffron camp is weaker than the ruling party.”
Moitra is the incumbent MLA of Karimpur, which falls under the same Lok Sabha constituency. Locals, as well as a certain section of TMC supporters, seemed to be happy with her.
“We never saw the last MP. The present candidate is the MLA of Karimpur and has done a lot of work. We want her to win so that more work takes place,” says Pradyut Pal, a local.
Though the BJP has gained popularity here, Chawbey is not as popular as Moitra who is putting in all efforts to reach out to voters in 82 villages. For her, the bigger challenge is to win by a huge margin.
“The sense we are getting on ground is that we are going to retain this seat. We have had this seat for two terms and this time, I am the candidate. So, obviously, we are going to retain this seat. My challenge is to win it by a record margin which is why I am putting in such an effort. That is the game I am playing,” says the confident Trinamool leader.
“There are 82 panchayats and one municipality in my Lok Sabha constituency. So, I want to visit every single village and shake hands with villagers and develop a connection with them,” says Moitra.
Chowbey, on the other hand, being a national-level footballer before venturing into politics, is riding on the popularity of Modi and the saffron party in Krishnanagar.
“There are a lot of people across different sections of society who recognise me. I feel honoured when they recall me as a former football player. I also feel good about representing a party which has several assets, including the PM. So, I believe this mix will help me win votes,” says Chowbey.
“People are looking for a change and PM Modi has proved his leadership skills at the national level. He is for the development of the ‘aam aadmi’. He talks about ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’. There are several projects in our country that are benefitting the poor. These are enough reasons for me to believe that people will vote for the BJP,” the former soccer player says while campaigning in his constituency.
A certain section of people in Krishnanagar believes the BJP’s presence will benefit locals on the ground. “We want a government like Modi’s in West Bengal so that pressing issues can be addressed. Modi wanted to implement Ayushman Bharat, but Banerjee opposed it,” says Arit Biswas, a local who has pinned his hope on the BJP’s development card.
However, the ruling party seemed to have impressed the rural pockets with its welfare work and still commands their loyalty.
The urban pockets, on the other hand, are divided, with some supporting a veteran Moitra, while others wanting the BJP to turn the course towards development.
Will the ruling Trinamool Congress fight off the growing influence of the BJP to retain the Krishnanagar seat is the big question as the constituency goes to polls in the fourth phase on April 29.
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