BJP, TMC TRY TO READ THE TEA LEAVES IN NORTH BENGAL

TMC aims to storm the saffron citadel. These seats are voting on 19 April.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

As North Bengal gears up for the first phase of elections on 19 April, both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are trying hard to read what the tea leaves say.

After all, there are 154 tea gardens in the Dooars region of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts which go to the polls along with Cooch Behar and its workers and their families hold the key to the electoral fortunes of political parties.

For both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress, the aim is to have a robust start to the long drawn political battle.

While the Trinamool Congress aims to storm the saffron citadel this time, the BJP, which had won all three seats of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar in the 2019 elections, aims to protect its turf.

ALIPURDUAR

In Alipurduar, a reserved seat for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, the BJP has fielded MLA Manoj Tigga, replacing the incumbent John Barla against whom there were allegations of non-performance.

The Trinamool has nominated Prakash Chik Baraik, its Rajya Sabha MP who has deep roots among the tea growing labour.

"The BJP will get a jolt of 440 volts this time. Ask the people what has its MP done over the past five years and how much of its MPLAD fund has he spent? On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee has laid special focus on the tea belt and has come up with houses for workers (Cha Sundari), distributed land deeds," Baraik told The Sunday Guardian.

The Trinamool Congress is showcasing the introduction of the project which aims to give homestead pattas to 23,000 tea garden workers and financial assistance up to Rs 1.20 lakh for construction of dwelling units under Cha-Sundari extension scheme.