For the first time since 1947, The left won’t be a part of the state legislation. The Left Front that ruled for 34 years in West Bengal failed to secure a single seat in 292 constituencies in this Assembly election.
The Chakulia Assembly also seen a big Political change after decades when the All India Trinamool Congress leader Minhaj ul Arfin Azad ended 40 years of Left rule in the Chakulia Assembly. The Chakulia Assembly comes under the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. The Forward Bloc has held this assembly since 1977 except for three years stint in 2006-2009. Ali Imran Ramz (Victor) won the by-election of the 2009, 2011, and 2016 Assembly elections. The massive victory of Minhaj, a local face of AITMC put an end to Ali Imran Ramz’s hope of a fourth win.
It was the seat from where his father Ramzan Ali and his Uncle Hafiz Alam Sarani, the former relief and cooperative minister under the Left Front government in West Bengal had contested and won. No doubt, the political wave in this Assembly election kept Left-congress in the third position and had made Mamata versus Modi.
West Bengal did see some meaningful improvement in public works, infrastructure, and government programs under Mamata Banerjee’s government. Voters kept eye on schemes like Sabuj Sathi and Kanyashree, schemes to distribute cycles and schemes for economically disadvantaged girls respectively. People found TMC, the best choice against the BJP. West Bengal has given BJP a big reality check.
The Sanjukta Morcha drew blank seats ousted in this assembly and have now been also ousted from Chakulia Assembly. “Most people are not shocked by the results, not even his party, Ali Imran should now realize that big political speeches won’t let you win an election,” said Aslam, a fruit seller. The single-family held this assembly seat for the past forty years and failed to set a degree college in the region.
“Chakulia desperately needs a degree college to ease educational boundaries and better health care. So, it made perfect sense for voters to elect someone who can be a part of the West Bengal government, someone who can assure us development in this backward region thus everyone voted for the change ” said Ansar.
Due to poor health facilities, Residents of this assembly, especially poor people in the isolated villages are forced to depend on quack doctors. Rural health services have insufficient staffing and poor infrastructure. The villagers are dependent on adjoining Kishanganj, Bihar for health and education.
Chakulia hopes and expects that Minhaj ul Arfin Azad will bring some positive change for this region.