Party flag changes, while BJP's Adhikaris put up best bet against TMC to retain family stronghold

In East Midnapore, opinions about the Contai Lok Sabha seat vary widely. Some see it as a stronghold of the Adhikari family, while others view it as a stranglehold. The Adhikaris have dominated the area for five decades, and this election is crucial for their continued relevance in Bengal politics. This time, the contest is more about family pride than political gain. Sisir Adhikari, who has held the Contai seat since 2009, has stepped aside for his youngest son, Soumendu, who is now the BJP candidate.

The Adhikaris also have influence in the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat. Here, Dibyendu Adhikari, Sisir's elder son and the sitting MP, has given up his seat for former high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

Suvendu Adhikari, the opposition leader in the Bengal assembly, is determined to secure a victory for his brother Soumendu in Contai. For him, a win for Soumendu is also a win for himself.

Contai has seen significant changes over the years. Sisir Adhikari's rise began as a gram panchayat member in 1962, eventually becoming a three-time MP and a junior Union minister. Soumendu now carries the heavy burden of these expectations and is leaving nothing to chance.

Recently, Soumendu held a bike rally in Chaukhali, part of the Chandipur assembly segment in the Contai LS seat, which Trinamool won in 2021. Around 150 bikes carrying 400 party workers rode through the lanes, seeking votes for Soumendu. "I am no astrologer, but I am telling you we will lead in all the seven assembly segments. I suffered a lot when this (state) government named me in fake criminal cases. It’s time they answered for it," Soumendu said.

In Batnan village, Soumendu claimed to have the people's blessings. His aides reminded everyone that Sisir fought against the formidable Left Front for decades and played a key role in its decline.

On paper, Soumendu stands strong. The BJP won four of the seven assembly seats here in the 2021 polls—Contai North, Contai South, Khejuri, and Bhagabanpur. Trinamool secured Patashpur, Ramnagar, and Chandipur.

Patashpur MLA Uttam Barik is Trinamool's candidate for Contai. The party's performance in the 2023 panchayat elections has challenged the BJP's "invincibility" in the rural areas of Contai. Along with a resurgent Trinamool, the Adhikaris are facing another challenge: the state government's social schemes have gained popularity, and the CAA-NRC issue has resonated in East Midnapore, where Muslims make up nearly 15% of the population.

Every day, Barik steps out of his makeshift office in Contai and heads to campaign in villages near the coastal town of Digha—Talgachari, Danda Belboni, Juki, and Kabra. He offers puja at every shrine along the way and connects with the voters.

Akhil Giri, the local MLA and senior East Midnapore Trinamool leader, has been absent from these meetings. There are rumours of factionalism, with Giri seen as opposed to Barik. However, Trinamool workers are currently focused solely on defeating Soumendu Adhikari.

Back in Ramnagar, Barik dismisses Soumendu as a serious contender. "My fight is against the BJP. I will not utter the name of a man who has no ideals, who used Trinamool for his family’s gains and then left it for his own goals. I have the calculations ready, and we are winning," he insisted.

The region is deeply divided in its loyalties. Trinamool supporters like Lakhan Gorui of Alampur in Ramnagar are angry. "They keep calling Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee thieves. What proof do they have?" he asked. TMC workers claimed Mamata has also accused Sisir and Suvendu of colluding with the CPM, leading to the violence in Nandigram on March 14, 2007.

However, BJP supporters have a different view. "He (Sisir) went all the way to Delhi to attend Abhishek's marriage. Today, they are again trying to discredit the Adhikari family's role in the Nandigram movement against land acquisition. But everyone here knows he and Suvendu mobilised resources and people for it. He (Sisir) even suffered a cracked hip in the violence that followed and it has yet to heal," a BJP organiser, who was previously with Trinamool, said.

Inputs from TOI