Why Are Independents Contesting Bengal Assembly Polls From Nandigram

Amid the fight of titans in West Bengal's Nandigram in the upcoming assembly elections, the high-profile constituency is also witnessing the battle of the minnows with independents in the fray for a variety of causes ranging from a bid to have their name etched in local folklore to restoring a father's lost honour.

As mainstream parties fight it out for political one- upmanship in the agrarian constituency, the independents have a different personalised agenda.

28-year-old Sheikh Saddam Hossain is fighting to restore the honour of his father Mohammed Ilyas, who is a former two-time CPI MLA from Nandigram.

Ilyas had to resign in 2007, months after he was caught on camera allegedly taking a bribe from an NGO for development work in a sting operation by a TV channel.

"My father was innocent. He was framed by a local politician during the turbulent days of the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007-08. He was very popular among local people.

"There was a conspiracy to remove him from his post by accusing him of being involved in corruption. And the worst part is neither his party Communist Party of India (CPI) nor the then Left Front stood by him or tried to know the truth," he said.

Saddam had quit the CPI a few days back after it was decided that the CPI(M) would contest from the seat.

"Nandigram seat has been a bastion of the CPI since the 1960s when iconic CPI leader Bhupal Chandra Panda used to contest from this seat. But the CPI decided to give this segment to the CPI (M).

"I decided to take it upon myself to fight for my father's honour. And what could be a better opportunity than fighting this time when the entire focus is on this high-profile seat," he said.

"This is an irony that the journalist who had conducted that fake sting operation on behalf of the TMC, Sankudeb Panda, is now with the BJP and Mamata Banerjee is fighting against Suvendu Adhikari. This is life," Mr Saddam told PTI.

 Eight candidates are contesting for the Nandigram seat. Besides Ms Banerjee, Mr Adhikari and Mr Saddam, CPI(M) nominee Minakshi Mukherjee, SUCI(C)'s Manoj Kumar Das and three more independent candidates are contesting from the seat.

Dilip Kumar Gayen, a 44-year-old independent candidate, is fighting the election to have his name etched in the political history of Nandigram.

"All the focus is presently in Nandigram, so I thought it could be the best way to get my name etched in the electoral history of this place. Whenever any analysis on the election to the seat will be conducted, my name will be there.

"That's all I want," Mr Gayen said while adding that except filing nomination, he has no interest in campaigning even for a single day.

Sixty-two-year-old Subrata Bose is infuriated as he is getting too many calls these days and facing inquiries about the reason behind his decision to contest as an independent from the seat.

"I am a citizen of this country and have every right to contest an election. I am not answerable to anyone," Ms Bose, a resident of Kolkata, said.

Echoing Mr Bose, 33-year-old Swapan Parui also said he is in the fray to have a feel of fighting the polls. "I want to serve my country, so I decided to contest polls," he said.