West Bengal polls: Kurmi community key to electoral success in former Maoist hotbed

Currently listed under the OBC category, the Kurmis have long been agitating to be inducted in the ST category

All eyes will be on the districts of Purulia, Bankura, West Medinipur and Jhargram known as the Jangal Mahal region in West Bengal when the state goes to polls in the first phase on March 27 and in the second phase on April 1.

A former Maoist hotbed the region, Jangal Mahal comprises 42 out of the 294 Assembly constituencies and six Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The key to success in the region for any party is the support of the Kurmi community who are a determining factor in at least 30 out of the 42 Assembly seats in Jangal Mahal. With a population of nearly 30 lakh, the community can decide the fate of any elections in the region.

Currently listed under the OBC category, the Kurmis have long been agitating to be inducted in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. They have held agitations against both the state and the Central Government over the issue. Last February, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Centre to provide ST status to the Kurmis in February, 2019 but since then there has been little progress.

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Even as they voted in large numbers for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections resulting in the saffron party winning four out of the six Lok Sabha seats in the region, the Kurmis are miffed with the BJP this time. According to leaders of the community, the Kurmis are unhappy with the BJP over the CAA as most of them mainly those who live in forests do not have any documents to prove their ancestry and moreover because the Centre is yet to grant them ST status.

The TMC leadership has roped tribal leader Chatradhar Mahato in the party to woo the Kurmis and regain the ground in Jangal Mahal which it lost to the BJP. TMC sources said that the party will also try to cash in on the Kurmis’ discontent over the issue of not being granted ST status. The BJP is highlighting the alleged corruption in the region by local TMC leaders in a bid to keep their Kurmi vote base intact.

However, BJP sources said that the party is wary of pushing its aggressive Hinduva agenda among the community as the Kurmis consider the Sarna Dharma (worshiping nature) as their religion. The official recognition of the Sarna Dharma is still pending with the state and the Central Government.