Poll results and Performance!

It's the best of times for Didi and worst of times for the Left Front.By election results strongly corroborate the above view.It's no denying the fact that anti Left wind is blowing hard, if not harder.Hang-over of anti incumbency factor is prevailing strong.At Basirhat last time CPM won by a slender margin of some three thousand odd votes.This time TMC has increased the margin of win almost tenfold. Didi was sure of win in this seat as this time Cong-TMC alliance was strong enough to allay the fear of division of votes in favour of CPM, that occured on the last occasion due to lack of understanding between these two parties.Nevertheless Didi couldn't think margin will be this much. Nor could she imagine she'd win by such staggeringly high percentage of votes in her own constituency as vote polled was unexpectedly low.Rather she was perhaps trying to analyse why people became so much disinterested in exercising their franchise in short span of four months.Poll pundits too felt anxious if Didi could exceed the earlier margin of win by her party colleague at least in terms of percentage votes polled in her favour.Belying all speculation Didi has proved without a whisker of doubt that her popularity has not a wee bit waned.

The results of by elections amply prove people still repose faith in Didi and believe she'd deliver goods if given sufficient time.But are these results popular endorsement of what Didi has done in last four months?Answer is perhaps 'no'.But why?People believe Didi's a symbol of change,she can change what was wrong in LF regime.She can award good governance and establish rule of law that was lacking at least towards the end of LF rule.People expect she'd establish Ganatantra (democracy) in place of Dalatantra allegedly pampered by the earlier govt.Unfortunately none of the above expectations to mention only a few, have come true.The law and order situation has not at all improved as incidences of inter party clashes, thefts, dacoities, extortion, murders have not waned a little.Dalatantra rules the roost in most instances as in LF regime.The health services are not in shape either.The public hospitals are in disarray as usual though Didi initially tried to set them right by her surprise visits.Condition of roads are awfully bad in most places without any sign of improvement.In reality,people feel no perceptible change in last four months.

Didi ,however, boast the advent of peace in hills following treaty with GJM after long disturbance and unrest.Experts, however say peace has been rather purchased for the time being paving the way for greater movement for separate state of Gorkhaland in near future as in the treaty it's been incorporated that GJM do not part with their demand for separate Gorkha land.

When in opposition Didi did not admit of presence of Maoists in Jungalmahal and demanded withdrawal of joint forces.But after coming to power she's made a u-turn and admit Maoists are veritable problem in Jangalmahal.Of course, initially she put the joint forces partially on hold to start dialogue with the Maoists.It, however,helped the Maoists to regroup and gain momentum to strike the administration with renewed vengeance.In fact, they've spread their organisation over wider domain holding threat to urban areas in Bankura and Midnapore.

Didi's new land policy that requires procurement of 100% land by the industrialists themselves poses a deterent to industrialisation.In our state where land is fragmented it's diffult to procure land without govt particpating in the process.It would simply help the land sharks to make huge fortunes.

In fine, to keep electoral promise to return 400 acre of land to the unwilling farmers of Singur Didi went to the extent of making new land act specifically for Singur and fought legal battle with Tatas and won it too.But the entire story is the fall-out of a tragic episode that a automobile factory that could change the fate of Singur people could not see the light of the day even after near completion of project work for making this '400 acre of land', a prestige issue ,which is now reportedly estimated much less than what was claimed.