Written by Tanusree Bose
Elections to Contai Cooperative Bank (CCB) in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district were held peacefully under the supervision of central paramilitary forces on Sunday based on a Supreme Court directive. Contai falls under Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari’s Nandigram Assembly constituency.
The Supreme Court last week ordered that the elections be held under the watch of Central forces instead of the state police after one of the 430 candidates vying for the 108 posts moved the apex court, claiming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) had deliberately selected a few villages far from the town to rig the polls.
Due to ongoing exams in three schools in Contai town, the Cooperative Election Commission had changed five polling stations. Subsequently, a petition to the Supreme Court by Shankar Bera, a former chairman of the Erga municipality, a civic body within Contai, urged a further change in polling station locations. However, the apex court ordered the deployment of paramilitary forces at these polling booths.
The elections began at 9 am under tight security. Raghunath Ayurved Mahavidyalaya and Hospital, identified as a sensitive booth with the most voters, saw the Central forces guarding the booth.
Former MP Sisir Adhikari of the BJP, after casting his vote, told The Indian Express, “In the last municipal, Assembly, and Lok Sabha elections, people in this area were unable to vote due to the hooliganism perpetrated by the ruling party. I am grateful to the Supreme Court and the judiciary for ensuring that Central forces are deployed to restore confidence among the voters. The wrongdoers will be held accountable.”
Shyamal Das, a voter, said, “It is a shame that a company of central forces had to be sent for a cooperative bank election. This situation only occurs here in Bengal. Next, we might see paramilitary forces being deployed for school elections as well.”
At Namal Kaliprasad Vidyalaya, located four kilometres from Contai’s main town, the polling booth was manned by Central forces. Strict checks were being enforced, and people were not allowed entry without presenting their identity cards to the central forces.
Mukteshwar Mistiri, a 70-year-old voter, said, “Times are changing, so we have to adapt to these changes. I have never seen paramilitary forces involved in a cooperative bank election, but given the current situation in the state, this decision has been made to ensure peaceful voting.”
Chandramoni Brahmo Balika Vidyalaya saw both the paramilitary and the local police manning the entire process. Another voter and shareholder, Rajendranath Das, said, “Previously, the voting was conducted by bank officials, but for the first time, I am seeing central forces conducting the polls, similar to the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. I am pleased that the election is finally taking place, as many official processes, such as loan approvals and dividend distributions, have been halted.”
In addition to paramilitary forces, 300 CCTV cameras monitored the 14 polling stations. The administration also restricted gatherings within a 200-metre radius of each polling station. For the security of each booth, 60 to 80 police personnel were assigned to several areas that were identified as sensitive.
Apart from the five booths manned by Central forces, The Indian Express also visited Morishda Bijoy Krishna Jagrihi Banipith High School, which did not have any Central forces present. Voters expressed their happiness that the polls were finally taking place and noted that the process was relatively peaceful.
Samaresh Das, a voter, was pleased with the election process. “The shareholders will exercise their right to vote. There is no political bias in this vote; that is what I feel.”
TMC MLA Akhil Giri said, “Voters are very happy for two reasons: first, because the voting is taking place after a long time, and second because they do not have to travel far; the centres are close to where they live.”
Giri said the deployment of central forces was an excuse used by the BJP. “The BJP knew they would lose from the beginning, so they requested the deployment of forces in five locations.”
The TMC and the BJP are competing to control the 15-member CCB board of directors. Suvendhu Adhikari was the chairman of the CCB until his removal in August 2021. In June 2021, the West Bengal government initiated an investigation into the operations of several cooperative banks where Adhikari had held a position on the managing board. The TMC views winning the CCB polls as another blow to Adhikari, a former confidant of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has become an adversary.
On July 16, 2021, Adhikari received some relief when the Calcutta High Court ruled that while the state could inspect the CCB’s accounts, no special audit could take place without the court’s permission.
Founded in 1947, the CCB has steadily grown to become the largest urban cooperative bank in eastern India. Headquartered in Contai, the bank operates a robust network of 16 branches located across the Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur districts and beyond.