BEHRAMPORE: The district of Murshidabad in West Bengal has long been plagued by political violence, with the body count steadily rising since 2003. The recent panchayat poll on Saturday added to the grim tally, as five individuals lost their lives in the clashes. Among the victims were three Trinamool workers, one from Congress, and one from the Left. This violence is not new to Murshidabad, as it has been a recurring issue for the past two decades.
The district witnessed its highest casualties during the 2003 panchayat polls, with Murshidabad having the highest body count in the entire state of Bengal. This pattern continued in the subsequent panchayat elections of 2008, 2013, and 2018. The question arises as to why Murshidabad experiences such a high level of violence.
One reason for this ongoing violence could be the inability of the ruling parties to establish control over the district. Even when in power, neither the Communist Party of India (Marxist) nor the Trinamool Congress has been able to assert dominance in Murshidabad. In fact, the Murshidabad zilla parishad, during the Left term, was the first to align with the Congress in 2003. Similarly, the Trinamool Congress had a limited presence in the district until 2011 when it won the Sagardighi assembly seat.
The desperation of the ruling party to establish control over rural governance in the district, coupled with the Congress’ need to retain its stronghold in Murshidabad, has led to intermittent clashes between these two parties, both in the past with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and in recent times with the Trinamool Congress.
Tensions between the Trinamool Congress and Congress escalated in 2016 after the former gained control of the zilla parishad and numerous panchayat samitis by absorbing Congress members into its fold. The Trinamool Congress continued its efforts to marginalize Adhir Chowdhury in the 2018 polls. However, Chowdhury was elected as the Member of Parliament from the Behrampore Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, bringing some respite to the Congress.
The dynamics took a turn during the 2021 assembly polls when minority communities, possibly alarmed over the National Register of Citizens, sided with the Trinamool Congress. The election results in the district posed a significant challenge to the very existence of the Congress party in Murshidabad and Malda.
In a surprising twist, the Sagardighi assembly bypoll in March 2023 saw the Trinamool Congress lose to a Left-supported Congress candidate. This result was seen as an indicator of growing disenchantment among the minority communities towards the Trinamool Congress. However, the situation has since changed, with Sagardighi MLA Bayron Biswas joining the Trinamool Congress.
Murshidabad continues to grapple with political violence, and its high body count is a cause for concern. The district’s history of clashes between rival political parties, the struggle for control over rural governance, and the shifting political loyalties of minority communities all contribute to this troubling trend. It remains to be seen whether steps will be taken to address the root causes of the violence or if Murshidabad will continue to count bodies in future elections.
