It is close to midnight, but Tapash Chatterjee is still on the campaign trail, addressing a gathering in a Muslim-majority pocket of interior Rajarhat. The outgoing MLA speaks of harmony, invoking the teachings of both “Swamiji ar Nabiji” to underline a message of coexistence. In his second Assembly contest, Chatterjee is working to consolidate support in the area even as tensions simmer. With reports of a rival party having allegedly attempted to stoke communal discord ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, maintaining peace has become as central to his campaign as securing votes.
Q. Campaigning is on its last leg. How is the response? Is this your toughest election yet?
People are showering blessings wherever I go. I am with people round the year. My slogan last time was “At 1am, who will you find on the streets? Dogs, cops and Tapash Chatterjee.” I am attached to several clubs and do social work through them round the year. I also run several missions. Just as our chief minister gives stipends to imams, I too raise funds to give Rs 1,000 to licenced imams and priests of my area. When impoverished women get married, there is a sari and Rs 5,000 as gift from my end. I have given this to 2,700 women so far.
Q. Is the fight two-way or three-way?
The Opposition is on one side and we are on the other. The CPM sometimes seems sympathetic towards the BJP. This is a fight against communalism and voters need to strengthen our hand.
Q. You had suggested that the BJP candidate fight the local councillor first before contesting against you.
I still have the same suggestion. Yesterday, I hear he did hom in a government hospital (in Reckjoani). What kind of poll campaign is that, to say he would pray for the hospital’s improvement this way! Which of their 77 MLAs have given an USG machine to a hospital like I have? In New Town, Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned and a plot of land allotted for a government hospital. The proposal has gone to the PWD. Work will start after we return to form the government.
Q. But the lack of health infrastructure is a recurring complaint in your report card as MLA, be it at Chandpur, Reckjoani or Patharghata.
I cannot do everything at once. It is not possible to upgrade every health centre in every locality in Bengal. We are strengthening a hospital in Narayanpur as also in Patharghata. We will have to think about the one in Chandpur. It is not possible to build hospitals in every panchayat area. The biggest problem is lack of doctors. Few meritorious students are choosing to be doctors now.
Q. But how can lack of doctors explain the shut medicine shop at Patharghata health centre or the Chandpur primary health centre being under lock and key?
There are some problems, which we need to look into. We try to give free medicines to the poor.
Q. Another complaint against you is your preoccupation with mela and khela. You don’t work to build infrastructure, like repairing roads.
We are involved with clubs and pujas to do social work. We have built so many roads. Work on some roads under the Pathasree project is halted. The foundation stone has been laid for a fire station in Ward 3 of Rajarhat.
Q. Will New Town have to remain under a panchayat?
I have proposed in the Assembly that three mouzas under the panchayat be categorised as urban mouzas. These areas fulfil the required criteria. That will allow them to get separate funds from the urban development department. Panchayats get funds from the panchayat and rural development department, which is not sufficient to cover the urban segments though gram panchayats are doing a lot of work.
Q. Are you worried about Sabyasachi Dutta loyalists in Rajarhat not working for you?
I do not do Sabyasachi Dutta’s Trinamul. I do Mamata Banerjee-Abhishek Banerjee’s Trinamul. He is also a candidate (from Barasat), so am I from Rajarhat New Town. Both of us will win. So I will not comment on this. I am born and brought up in Rajarhat, unlike Piyush Kanodia.
