Kolkata:
After weeks of legal wrangling, the panchayat polls have finally begun in West Bengal. Today, polls were held in Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapur districts, together known as Junglemahal which was a hotbed of Maoist terror till Maoist leader Kishanji was killed six months after Mamata Banerjee became chief minister.
For Mamata, these elections are crucial. These three districts voted Left last time. In fact, 13 out of 17 districts went with the Left in 2008. Two went to Congress and two to Trinamool. So, from a tally of two out of 17, Mamata needs to improve the Trinamool's performance radically.
So what has "parivartan", Mamata's war cry for change in the Assembly elections, meant for people of Junglemahal? Ask anyone and they will tell you: the end of Maoist terror. For, between November 2008 and November 2011, Junglemahal had become a killing field of innocents by Maoists.
But now things have changed so much, every political party has actually fielded former Maoists as candidates. Hamlet Mandi of Trinamool, is charged even with murder. He hoped to serve the people first as Maoist, now as a Trinamool candidate.
But not everyone is smitten by 'parivartan'. Certainly not Shiladitya Chowdhury, called a Maoist by Mamata at a public rally at Binpur village last year and jailed.
"She called me a Maoist, had me jailed. I have been out of jail for a year. She has done nothing, for me or for Binpur where drinking water is a huge problem," said the 35-year-old farmer who has not forgiven Mamata yet.
Shiladitya made national headlines. But what agitates urban voters may cut no ice with villagers - issues like the cartoon controversy, the Park Street rape case, the transfer of a policewoman who had cracked it.
For Mamata, that is good news. It is imperative for her to put up a good show in the rural polls so that she can thumb her nose at those whose faith in her is shaken.