Nandigram Co-Operative Election: Rivals TMC, BJP United In Local Polls?

Kolkata: The arch rivals, BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC), entered a seat adjustment alliance for a co-operative election West Bengal‘s Nandigram, the Indian Express reports. Out of 54 seats, the TMC won 32 and BJP won 18; in all these seats only one candidate submitted nomination and won uncontested.

The alliance between two parties in the local front came out surprising at a time when both are fighting fiercely in the national front, with TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even showing interest in leading the INDIA bloc against the BJP.

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Interestingly, the co-operative society is under the Nandigram assembly constituency where Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari won the seat against Mamata Banerjee in a close contest.

The Dinabandhu Co–operative Agricultural Development Society elections were scheduled to be held on January 5. However, as per Indian Express reports, since no party has fielded candidates against each other, they won the seat uncontested on December 14.

Arup Gol, secretary of TMC Bhekutia Anchal told the Indian Express that it is a decision taken by local people. Elections cost money. Rs. 2 lakh need to be spent for the arrangement of the cooperative society election. “So, good-thinking people on both sides held a meeting and decided on a seat adjustment,” he said.

Similarly, Sudip Das, BJP leader and member of the Tamluk organisational district of the party said: “There is no political colour in co-operative elections. Local people have decided to make a seat adjustment. This will not reflect in other places or in the state or centre,” Indian Express reports.

However, citing anonymity, BJP local leadership stated that if they had not forged this agreement, the TMC would have won all the seat by intimidating the voters. This was the best thing for the area and that is why local leaders opted for the plan. “At least now we have 18 seats,” the local BJP leader said.

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Meanwhile, senior leadership of TMC and BJP denied news about seat adjustment alliance. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that co-operative elections are held at the local level and things are decided by local people. “We will ask the workers and leaders of that particular area what actually happened,” Ghosh added.

Also, BJP’s former Lok Sabha member Locket Chatterjee argued that in Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari had defeated Mamata Banerjee in the assembly. There can be no question of an understanding with TMC. “The party will find out what happened,” he said.