Oppn’s arrogance, eroding support base to factor in TMC’s triumph in Entally

Trinamool Congress is likely to increase its lead in Entally by due to  Swarnakamal Saha, the party’s sitting MP.

In 2011 assembly election Swarnakamal Saha defeated the then IT minister and CPI(M) candidate Debesh Das by 24,996 votes. Saha got75,891 votes while Das bagged 50,895 votes. In the Lok Sabha election held in 2014 TMC took a lead of 21, 394 votes from this segment.

Entally was a strong Congress bastion and Sultan Ahmed, now TMC MP became an MLA from this seat in Congress ticket. 

Later, Congress could not stop erosion of voters and the area became a CPI(M) stronghold. But after the party’s poll debacle in 2011, many young workers joined TMC and over the past five years the area is totally under TMC’s control. 

The area has voters representing different communities and religion with varied economic status. There are rich businessmen and high ranking officials working in private sectors and side by side there are small traders, shop keepers and daily wage earners. There are slums and highrises in the area and demands of the people are also different.

Over the past years Saha’s biggest achievement is he was able to control party’s infighting and made party activists work for the development of the area.

Drinking water in some pockets like Dr Suresh Sarkar Road, Deb Lane, Doctors lane and its neighbourhood was a major problem. Long queues were seen in front of tubewells. Now, this problem has been ironed out to a great extent and most of the tubewells have been removed as people are getting piped water. 

The parks like the Ladies Park have been beautified. The roads have been upgraded with mastic asphalt and are brightly lit up. 

Thus, in the past five years Saha has met demands of most of the people.

On the contrary, CPI(M) workers surfaced in the area after dates of the poll were announced. In the past five years they did not build any contact with people. Das who is famous for his arrogance did not come to the area even once to listen to the grievances. 

Also, Congress CPIM alliance is not working in the area and staunch Congress voters will either abstain from voting or cast their votes in favour of CPI(M).

A survey in the area suggests that Saha will have a bright smile on his face on May 19 when the results are out.