It’s dagger drawn for the three musketeers of Siliguri

Initially considered to be a straight fight between the Trinamool Congress and Left, the dynamics changed with BJP winning the Siliguri Assembly seat. This time the elections are a three-way game and with the three musketeers — Ashok Bhattacharya, Shankar Ghosh and Goutam Deb — holding the keys to the civic body, writes ETV Bharat's Dipankar Bose.

Kolkata: Everyone is vying for the Siliguri civic pie. Be it the Left Front led by CPI(M), be it the new kid on the block BJP or be it the ruling party of Bengal the Trinamool Congress, no one is leaving any stone unturned to romp home the numbers for this prestigious civic body. So, why is there such a scramble and why is there so much brouhaha surrounding a civic body election, which is closely second to the high profile Kolkata Municipal Corporation poll? The answer probably rests with the three musketeers of the election.

First, the record books. Established in 1949, the Siliguri Municipality was granted Corporation status in 1994 and is spread across the two districts of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, minus the hills. In the last 2015 civic polls, the CPI(M) led Left Front secured 23 of the 47 wards and formed the board under the stewardship of Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya. The Trinamool Congress managed to bag 17 wards, the BJP got two and the Congress had four wards in their kitties.

With the CPI(M) and the Congress forging an on-off secular alliance, the board went on to complete its tenure. But, fresh elections never happened due to the pandemic. In the meantime, Ashok Bhattacharya, a five-time CPI(M) member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and a three-time cabinet minister, had won the 2015 elections. But, he lost his Siliguri seat in last year’s Assembly elections to one time party colleague and protégé, Shankar Ghosh. The protégé, who had switched to BJP, had turned Ashok’s nemesis.

The Trinamool Congress, though ousting the Left Front in 2011, is yet to make a mark in the Siliguri civic body. Goutam Deb, the poster boy of Trinamool Congress is Siliguri is a two-time MLA and has served as a cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee-government. Deb, who made his foray into politics as a Chhatra Parishad, the Congress’ students’ wing, leader in North Bengal University, is a four-time councillor and also Leader of Opposition in the civic body for two terms. Now, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Elections of 2022.

Initially considered to be a straight fight between the Trinamool Congress and Left, the dynamics changed with BJP winning the Siliguri Assembly seat. This time the elections are a three-way game and with the three musketeers holding the keys to the civic body. The CPI(M) would surely make a last ditch effort to salvage something for their already sunk ship, under the guidance of Ashok Bhattacharya. Initially a reluctant Ashok was coaxed to contest the polls by none other than former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The CPI(M) leader’s former colleague in the cabinet will be yet again contesting from Ward number 6 of the civic body in an effort to raise the Red flag in the foothills of Darjeeling Himalayas.

The BJP, which has established itself as the opposition party in Bengal after last year’s Assembly elections, is betting on its party MLA, giant killer Shankar Ghosh, who is contesting from Ward number 24. Shankar is not only the poster boy for the saffron brigade, but also the trump card for all other 46 Wards where he is burning his midnight oil to secure a decent number in the party’s kitty.

For the ruling party of the state Trinamool Congress, Siliguri has always been a challenge of sorts. Contesting from Ward number 33, Goutam Deb, like Ashok Bhattacharya, was defeated from the Dabgram-Fulbari seat by BJP’s Shikha Chatterjee. This time also the party has faced much internal bickering over choice of candidates. But, in the end, Goutam Deb is Trinamool Congress’ sole face to gain grounds in Siliguri.

All three – Ashok Bhattacharya, Shankar Ghosh and Goutam Deb – would like their respective parties to gain a majority in the Siliguri civic body. Because, it is not just their parties alone, it is much personal. It is either a fight to wrest lost ground or to spread wings wider. Siliguri Municipal Corporation goes to the polls on February 12.