In the recently held Nagar Panchayat elections in Chhattisgarh, a CPI(ML)-backed candidate Seema Banjare, won the seat of ward councilor of Ward No. 14 (Banbarad in Ahiwara Nagar Panchayat -a constituency reserved for women). The CPI(ML)’s had also fielded Dolly Dasgupta for the Mayor’s post in Jagdalpur.
The victory in the Ahiwara seat should be viewed in the context of the impact of the sustained struggle of Bhilai municipality sanitation workers led by CPI(ML). Determined that the trade union struggles to organize the workers around demands for minimum wages and other rights should lead to political assertion too, the party had undertaken party membership drives in several villages from where the sanitation workers hailed – including Beltikri (Gundardehi Assembly constituency), Banbarad (Ahiwara), Sirsakala, Kharedha etc. At Banbarad, the party succeeded in regularising party structures, and initiating mass mobilisation on issues of basic amenities like drinking water etc. Some of these mass struggles had a degree of success, forcing local administration to concede some demands. This is a village from which around 70 sanitation workers working in the Bhilai municipal corporation get up daily at 3 am to make an 18 km trip by bicycle to work. The ward has a population of around 4000 (1068 voters), of which dalits form a substantial section.
Seema Banjare, who formerly was a domestic worker, and whose husband is a sanitation worker, was unanimously chosen as the party’s candidate for ward councilor. BJP has had hold of this seat for the past two years. The BJP and Congress campaigns were marked by lavish expenditure, attempts to entice voters with liquor and cash, as well as attempts at intimidation. In contrast the party’s campaign showed a modest expenditure of a mere Rs. 2000, with the campaign being led from the front by the candidate, and the active participation of women and youth. The CPI(ML) candidate won 312 of the 856 votes polled, with a handsome margin over its main political rivals (Congress-196, BJP-116).
The victory of the CPI(ML) candidate is encouraging – given that candidates of more established left parties like CPI in this part of Chhattisgarh could not win.
The victory has caused ripples amongst the local administration and ruling class parties, and has also been inspiring and encouraging for the working poor in the region. The challenge is to consolidate this modest beginning and intensify struggles and strengthen and expand the party organisation further.
