On the face of it, it?s a usual election rally, complete with red flags, drummers, hordes of boys and girls, and cadres, but Singur is weighing heavy on state industries minister Nirupam Sen?s campaign in his constituency of Burdwan (South).
But a rickshaw puller?a regular at all party meetings?is brutally honest: ?Ota baire theke dekhe mone hochche apnar. Bhetore shob nore gachhe (The show is a mirage, the reds are shaking within).?
Is there a hint of disinterest in Sen, too? In a crucial state election, where the Left finds itself in a corner, Sen has just finished only his third rally in Burdwan. He isn?t busy campaigning elsewhere either.
For the rickshaw puller, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)?s exit will mean more business. ?Now, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) allows us to operate only at stands controlled by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. If they lose the election, I will be able to pick up passengers everywhere.?
The Singur issue, too, is still a hot topic of debate, with equal pro- and anti-section. The Left Front distanced itself from the working class in the last two years, and Burdwan, a red bastion for decades, was no exception. If they are seen to be clawing back, it?s a recent development, and people are still not fully convinced about the Left?s intentions. At the rally, along with youngsters are also many retired men and women, who had distanced themselves from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after the Singur and Nandigram episodes but are now back.
?There is a section of supporters who thought we are taking sides with the corporates and stayed away during the Lok Sabha election. We have managed to convince them of our compulsions to bring big industry in the state,? says Nirupam Sen.
?Bamfronter shekor anek shakto. Aito sahaje chhera jabe na (The Left Front?s roots are deep here. It will not be easy to uproot it),? says Mohammad Nur, a fruit seller.
The Trinamool Congress took a slim lead in the last general elections from Burdwan South and is looking at a hefty victory margin this time.
?We are seeing a spontaneity among people. They have overcome fear and are supporting Mamata Banerjee this time,? says Rabi Ranjan Chattopadhyay, the Trinamool Congress candidate from the assembly constituency.
Burdwan?s people say that the fight is between a disciplined regimented party and a spontaneous Mamata wave. ?Too close to call,? quips one resident, when asked who?s going to win Burdwan South.
rohit.khanna@expressindia.com