CPM young gun takes on TMC veteran

Ghosh who filed his candidature here on Wednesday, is being backed by the youth brigade of the Marxists, namely the sons and daughters of the CPM ministers and leaders. For instance, housing minister Goutam Deb's son Saptarshi, state secretariat member Shyamal Chakraborty's daughter Ushashie, health minister Surya Kanta Mishra's daughter Raushnara and late Front chairman Anil Biswas' daughter Ajanta have all been making it a point to hit the street at regular intervals to woo the electorate for their `local boy'.

 Up against TMC heavyweight Javed Khan from the Kasba seat, the CPM young guns have changed tact to prevent `wind of change' blowing across the state.

Aware that Khan is a tough candidate and a more `visible'  face compared to Satarup, they have been stressing on a `door-to-door' campaign to make the electorate familiar with his face. Having done his B Sc in ecnomics,Ghosh is currently pursuing his post graduation from Rabindra Bharati university. Every morning, if Khan visits Kasba's slums and up-scale areas to remind people about the gruesome killing of 17 Ananda Margis who were burnt them alive in broad daylight on the Kasba bridge allegedly by the CPM cadres, Ghosh makes every effort to apply `balm on the wounds', seeking the blessing of the old with folded hands.

   The reason behind the CPM's decline of influence in this region  was the vicious killing of the Margis and highhandedness of a section of the Marxist cadres since then. Hence, the confidence of the Gen X brigade might not be enough to ensure Satarup's victory over Khan as the recent civic polls showed that Marxists had trailed by several votes in all the wards against TMC nominees.   “Everyone knows him here; he has grown up and played with many of the young voters in the constituency. People love him and he obviously is not an outsider,” claims SFI secretary Ritabrata Banerjee.

Besides fighting the wind of change, he will have to win over a section of his party that is not at all happy with his candidature there. “He is  a minnow compared to Khan. Although he is being projected as a young and bright candidate, the party has made a mistake as except his age, Satarup has nothing worthwhile to show to the voters," says an insider.