[Reader-list] News from West Bengal elections 2006

[V Ramaswamy]

Dear Friends

Owing to demanding preoccupations I was unable to convey earlier the remarkable news from the current assembly elections in West Bengal. It has completely transformed the life of democracy in the state. Here is some quick feedback.

Because of the very, very elaborate, stringent and punctilious / painstaking measures and arrangements enforced by the Election Commission, for the first time we are witnessing what could be called "free and fair" elections. At the very least this is the case in urban areas.

Hence the "machinery" with which the CPM was able to win elections has been completely stymied. State police is completely absent, replaced by central police forces. They deal firmly and summarily with anyone in their sight.

Voters' lists and actual voters have been scrutinised and checked. People are being able to go out to vote. Voting centres are clear of any wrongdoers.  Potential anti-CPM voters have been able to freely vote.

One can even sms the Election Commission, giving one's ID card no. and find out one's voter serial no. and the centre. One can call them and inform them in case of any difficulty.

All this has come as a great shock to local grassroots party workers. No one could imagine that this can actually happen.

CPM activists are saying that if these arrangements had been made in 2001, the CPM / Left Front would have lost that election.

The significance of this is profound.

Party's and governments are ultimately about winning elections. With election victories being delivered through money and muscle power, politics was necessarily criminalised. The party was hostage to its criminal-lumpen section and their overlords.

Now the party is realising that this section has become redundant. They cannot do anything on election day. It is the people who will vote you in or out, so one better work for and with the people.

As the criminal-lumpen section is redundant and thus unnecessary, they can also be dispensed with, and the deep toll taken by this nexus can be cast out. 

Meanwhile of course, Mamata Bannerjee's front has itself lost people's credibility because of all their twists and turns and infighting and idiosyncrasies. The Congress is also seen as not really serious about this election, what with their pact with the Left at the centre.

Something else has also emerged quite strongly. The real struggle is within the CPM, between the old guard and the new generation, the latter led by Buddhadev Bhattacharya. The old guard and the CPM led by Jyoti Basu till 2000 (and with continuing but waning influence) - is basically an enemy of the people and of pro-poor development, an utter bankrupt, incompetent, corrupt.  And Buddhadev is an enemy of this. Even if one is totally against all his current policies - e.g. land of poor farmers for foreign real estate developers, out and out embrace of "capitalism", he has to be seen as someone doing something, anything, rather than nothing.

The tone was set when the whole set of education-related minsters were dropped from the candidates list. That was tantamount to admitting the complete failure of the govt, and making a humble pitch to the people that there is a commitment to change and a chance be given to perform.

The CPM headquarters has no option but to support him. They cannot afford to lose their bastion of West Bengal. They have realized that the state and its people cannot be taken for granted any longer. They may vote for them, in the absence of any credible and organized opposition, but the party can sense the dismay and anger against their failure to deliver in real and tangible terms. The danger is not so much from any political opposition, but from itself, in terms of its utter incapability to deliver, anything to anybody. West Bengal has also seen a surge of new Maoist violence against the state, in some of the most backward tribal areas.


West Bengal was / is in danger of becoming a completely redundant backwater of the Indian and global economy. That would be disastrous for pro-poor concerns too. Through Buddhadev, the state is being brought back to the global capitalist economic fold. Such things are also rather easier to do, compared to addressing fundamental and long term issues of poverty and social justice. And someone or the other must be there, in power, to do all that.

There has been almost a conspiracy of media / big bourgeoisie to ensure that the Buddhadev-led CPM is brought back to power, rather than Congress or Trinamul-BJP front. There being no organised credible, reliable political opposition in WB, that would be disastrous, chaotic and anarchic, and especially so for the promoter lobby that has been the first to benefit hugely from Buddhadev.

This has been one of the most placid, insepid, silent, dead, unexciting elections. That is because of all the strictures laid down by the EC - no writing on walls being the most telling example. On the whole, there has been no opportunity for any public discussion and debate on the policies of the CPM. So the CPM has actually tacitly accepted this in its own interest. 

In Howrah, there has been a dramatic turnaround in the Urdu-speaking labouring Muslim pockets. The CPM has failed this poor section completely, even while getting re-elected by them. But this time the Samajwadi Party entered this niche (anti-CPM, anti-BJP) and worked hard and steadily. Opposition party workers and even some CPM supporters joined the Samajwadi band. Voter turnout was immense, in some pockets 100%, and without any false represntation. As if there was a mass movement within the Muslim section to vote for Samajwadi, i.e. against the CPM. As a result of this swing, the standing CPM legislator, is expected to lose badly. This was a CPM stronghold area, earlier represented by a powerful member, who was also a criminal don; he passed away a few years ago.

Party activists have been surprised by the the difference between their ground-level observations, of failure of the CPM's election machinery, and the media's exit poll reports. The EC should have taken note of these exit polls, whose reports - real or cooked up - can have a huge impact on subsequent stages.

People have to awaken to the new situation and evolve appropriate means to ensure public debate, which is the essence of democracy and elections. The focus has shifted to media, and the media has been dominated by the big bourgeoisie's shrill support for Buddhadev.

Buddhadev and CPM will win these elections. Maybe with a reduced majority, or even a greater majority. In either case, that will strengthen Buddhadev's hand in his fight against the enemy CPM.

With the civil society and intelligentsia of the state completely compromised, co-opted and bankrupt, progressive anti-establishment and pro-poor forces in the state - have now to engage with Buddhadev, and explore the scope for strong pro-poor policies and ongoing steady, diligent work for long-term ends, in livelihood, education, healthcare, housing and infrastructure. 

The forceful exit of Muslim support would also be an assertion of the acute poverty and hardship Muslims in West Bengal are facing (which is only in line with the situation faced by SCs and STs) and a rude warning to deliver. 

If that space is there, if he is open to such engagement to integrate equity and social justice concerns into his reform and economic drive, so as to build a wide popular support base for himself and his team, then it brings a positive new opportunity for progressive civil society. 

If that space is not there - then Buddhadev can be seen for what he in fact is, a capitalist lackey. And people will have to ponder over how and through whom the real issues can be taken up. Maybe its time for a new political party in WB, a progressive, democratic, secular, development-oriented front.

But whatever the case, it must be conceded that Buddhadev has come into his own now, and I for one have been surprised that he had it in him to take on the corrupt party. He may not know how to or have the wherewithal to improve the quality of life of the poor in West Bengal; but being an old party hack, he would know how to fight and manoeuvre and manipulate. In an institutional and systemic sense, change was needed, and he is bringing change.

I feel like a dark cloud has lifted from the horizon. There is hope!

Meanwhile Buddhadev has his hands full. After the elections, when he forms his cabinet, people will be waiting to see if Subhas Chakravarty is included. This person is the patron of the criminal-lumpen section of the party.


V Ramaswamy
Calcutta
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