About 18,19,989 voters will exercise their franchise in Purulia Lok Sabha constituency tomorrow and for the first time in the past six years, the BJP is facing a tough contest in its bastion of south Bengal.

Purulia, which is known for its Chhau, lac and palash (flame of the forest), has registered the highest growth of forest cover in the state in the past few years, according to the Union environment, forest and climate control ministry report.

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In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato of the BJP defeated Dr Mriganko Mahato of the TMC by a margin of over 2,04,732 votes. Jyotirmay Singh Mahato is again contesting from Purulia, where he amassed about 49.33 per cent polls against TMC candidate’s 34.19 per cent in 2019 polls.

The TMC bounced back in the 2021 Assembly polls and wrested the Manabazar and Baghmundi Assembly seats from the BJP. Still the saffron brigade managed to win the Balarampur, Joypur, Purulia, Kashipur and Para seats.

Purulia has been a prestige fight for the BJP and to retain this seat, PM Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda have campaigned for Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, who is also a state general secretary of the BJP.

Seven candidates are in the fray: Veteran Congress leader Nepal Mahato, who has been backed by the CPM, BJP’s Jyotirmay Mahato, TMC’s Shantiram Mahato (former state minister), Forward Bloc’s Dhirendra Nath Mahato and Independent candidate Ajit Prasad Mahato.

Over 35 per cent voters in Purulia Lok Sabha seat are from the Kurmi community or Mahato, and all the political parties have fielded Kurmi candidates to woo the Mahato vote bank.

But the presence of Ajit Prasad Mahato, the head of the Kurmi community in polls and the boycott of the Bauri community of the BJP are likely to hit the BJP hard, it seems. Political parties fear that Ajit Prasad Mahato, the Independent candidate can cut a sizable chunk of the 5.25 lakh Kurmi voters, being their supreme leader in these polls and can make the difference.

If Ajit Prasad Mahato splits the Kurmi votebank and the Congress and the Forward Bloc candidates manage to retain a sizable amount of their original votebank then results can be different.

In recent times, Ajit Prasad Mahato is fighting for getting the ST status for the Kurmi community, which they had before Independence and has organised movements and agitations. The TMC has also supported their demand.

Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato polled 49.33 per cent votes in 2019 which was up from 7.15 per cent polled by BJP candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The percentage of Forward Bloc candidate’s came down to 5 per cent in 2019 from 21 per cent in 2014 and Congress candidate’s from 15 per cent to 6 per cent.

The TMC votebank also came down to about 4.5 per cent in five years.

This is why both TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee and Avisekh Banerjee stressed repeatedly that if the Left Front and Congress votebank switches back then the results will be different.

“You have got a BJP MP for five years. What have you got from him? I challenge PM Narendra Modi to release his report card for Purulia. Instead, the women are benefitting with Lakhsmir Bhandar and the poor labourers are getting funds from the state for the 100 days’ job work after the Centre has stopped funding. Our government is working to supply drinking water to parched areas,” said Abhisekh Banerjee at a rally in Baghmundi. Since the TMC government came into power peace prevailed as bloodshed by the Maoists have stopped and today Purulia has emerged as a top tourism destination in the map of the country, added Abhisekh Banerjee.

CM Mamata Banerjee said that the industrial freight corridor and the Rs 72,000 crore Jungle Sundari Industrial Township project will act as a game changer for the Purulia economy in the coming years.

The All India Adivasi Coordination Committee has called for a vote boycott for BJP on the issue of Centre’s Forest Right Act 2023, stating that it is against the tribal people.

About 8,97,787 women voters and 9,22,787 men will cast their votes for Purulia tomorrow. The TMC is depending on the women votebank, who have benefitted from the Lakhsmir Bhandar.

“People know whom to vote for. People will vote for BJP because they want Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. I don’t think the vote will split in Purulia despite the presence of so many Mahato candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” claims Jyotirmay Singh Mahato.

Veteran Congress leader Nepal Mahato seemed cautious, this time it will be a tough contest and will be hard to predict who will win from Purulia, who incidentally is fighting with CPM support.

Whereas, AIFB is fighting the polls alone in Purulia despite CPM support to Congress, which was once upon a time its bastion and have won about nine times in the past.