THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY September 1, 1962

Studies in Voting Behaviour VII The Decline of the Left in a Calcutta Suburb: Behala Constituency (Contributed)

In the 1962 general election the Behala Assembly constituency returned the Communist candidate* Rabindra Nath Mukkerjee, for the second time in succession, but with a smaller proportion of the total vote. The Communist defeated his two rivals, a Congressman and an independent, but secured only 55 per cent of the votes polled against nearly 65 per cent in 1957 and a combined leftist vote of about 62 per cent in 1952.

The factors which contributed towards the decline in the percentage of votes polled by the Commun­ ist candidate were :

First, the appreciation, though limited, by the middle class voters of the achievements of the Congress Government in the two five year Plans.

Second, the dormant anti-Communist feeling on the Sino-lndian border issue.

Third, the Communists' failure to make oat any popular political issue against the ruling party. Their slogan of an alternative government actually created some resentment in the minds of the rnore sophisti­ cated section of the electorate.

THE Behala Assembly constituency cent increase in population, it also Shortly after the 1952 elections, is comprised entirely of the reflected, among other things, the Communist Party formed & local South Suburban Municipality. United Peoples' Association (UPA) (1) the greater eagerness of the Situated on the south-western bor­ to contest the Municipal elections in electorate to register as voters; der of the Calcutta Corporation, 1954. The UPA won 5 out of 23 seats, the 13.92 sq mile area has a popula­ (2) the efforts by the CPI mainly while Independents supported by the tion of approximately 200,000 of and, to a lesser extent, by the Con­ sitting MLA, Biren Roy, won 3 which a little over 50 per cent are gress to enlist as voters their sup­ seats. The Congress Party formed new settlers including a large per­ porters; and the Board with Sailendra Nath Roy, centage of refugees from East a cousin of Biren Roy, as Chair­ Pakistan. Over 70 per cent of the (3) greater efficiency in the pre­ man. Sailendra Nath Roy later population consists of middle-class paration of the voters' list In ad­ contested the 1957 elections for the families composed of white collar dition to extensive publicity urging Assembly seat as the Congress workers. A little over 10 per cent people to register themselves as nominee. are industrial workers of whom voters, the Election authorities, in about half are employed by the 50 collaboration with the local authori­ Communist Win In 1957 rice mills in the area and by small ties, did their best to prepare com­ In the 1957 elections the Com­ engineering factories. The rest of prehensive voters' lists. munist Party set up its trade union the population consists of artisans, worker, Rabin Mukherjee, for the In Earlier Elections agriculturists. shop-owners and Assembly seat and supported Inde­ small businessmen. Agitation by In the first general election, the pendent Biren Roy for the Parlia­ the rice mill workers, the majority constituency comprised three rural ment seat (Calcutta South-West), of whom are women, against inse­ unions besides the Municipal area. which includes the Behala Assem­ curity of service and very low The sent was then won by an Inde­ bly constituency. Shri Roy, it was wagies organised jointly by the pendent against the Congress and a reported, had earlier tried for the Communists and a militant splinter weaker leftist front composed of Congress nomination and failed. left party, the Socialist Unity Cen­ CPI, Forward Bloc (Marxist), RSP With Biren Roy's support, and ter, has been a constant feature of and other splinter left groups. The helped by the pro-Communist swing politics in the .area. winning Independent candidate, in greater Calcutta area during the A little over 5 per cent of the Biren Roy, who comes from a 1957 elections, the Communist population are Muslims who solidly wealthy local family of landlords Assembly candidate had a com- support the Congress party largely which controlled the local Munici­ fortable victory and for the first out of a feeling of insecurity as a pality since its inception in the time the Calcutta South West Lok result of the increased influx of re­ mid-19th century, had been Chair­ Sabha seat was lost by the fugees. Another 5 per cent are man of the Municipality from Congress. non-Bengalis, mostly Biharis, with 1936-48. He was also an MLC and The 1957 electoral victory raised strong pro-Congress sympathies. for some time a Parliamentary Biren Roy's political status in the Secretary in pre-Independence days. Between 1957 and 1962 the electo­ constituency and his standing with In the 1952 election he was elected rate increased from 54,000 to 94,000 the CPI but it caused some mis­ as a nominee of the PSP-Forward (see Table). Although this was givings among a section of Roy's Bloc (Subhasist) front. primarily due to an almost 100 per supporters who were opposed to

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electing a Communist. This was At this stage, an offer was re­ was Dr Ramesh Chandra Majum- soon reflected in the election of the portedly made through some Mini- dar, the eminent Indian historian. Managing Committee of a local star to nominate Biren Roy as the High Benool when Rabin Mukher­ Congress candidate from the Campaign : Late Beginning jee was defeated by Biren Roy's Behala Assembly constituency in The campaign, unlike in the 1957 supporters. the third general election. The elections or even in the Municipal State Congress Election Committee elections of 1961, did not pick up Biren Roy's election was, tow- however, turned down the sugges­ until about three weeks before the ever, declared void by the Election tion. With little hope of winning polling which took place on Febru­ Commission in 1959. In the by- the seat, Congress selected Biren- ary 25. The Congress nomination, election, the Communist trade union dra Nath Ghatak, who did not be­ which was first to be announced in leader, Indrajit Gupta, won the seat long to either of the local Congress September 1961, did not arouse much with the full support of Biren Roy. factions, as its candidate for the enthusiasm among the local Con­ This was at the height of the Sino- Behala Assembly seat. Another gressmen and some of them tried Indian border tension and the win move, made simultaneously, to to solicit prominent personalities to further raised Biren Roy's standing form a Congress Municipal Board contest the seat as Independent with the State CPI leadership and with Ramen Roy as the Congress candidates to defeat the Communist he was elected to the Rajya Sabha Chairman also failed. It may be candidate. However, the Congress by the CPI from West Bengal in pointed out, in this context, that candidate, almost unassisted by his 1960. both Biren and Ramen Roy have party began his house-to-house Municipal Politics always been denied positions by the campaign early in September and official Congress party because of opened a Central Election office in In early 1061, the CPI-led UPA a family feud with Sailen Roy, November. He organized an exten­ contested the Municipal elections, who gained control of the local sive poster campaign in late Decem­ this time strengthened by the alli­ Congress organization shortly after ber calling upon the electorate to ance with Biren Roy. The Munici- the 1959 Municipal election. ask the CPI candidate, the sitting pal elections, due in 1958, were ML A, as to what he had done for twice postponed at the intervention The Candidates the locality during the five years of of the High Court for wrong pre­ The Congress candidate, Ghatak, his membership of the Assembly. paration of the voters' list. Held is the son of a political sufferer with limited franchise (only those from East Pakistan, and lives in The official Congress election paying tax or license fee or a mem­ one of the many refugee rehabili­ machinery was set up only in mid- ber of a taxpayer's family having a tation colonies in the area. His January following State Congress minimum educational qualification father, a former member of the boss Atulya Ghosh's intervention. are entitled to vote) even the final KMPP formed by Dr P C Ghosh A poorly organized central election after his resignation from the Chief list allegedly contained many rally was addressed, among others, Ministership of West Bengal, con­ spurious voters. The Congress by Mrs Sucheta Kripalani, Minister tested the Assembly seat in the first (though it did not officially put up in the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet. A general elections but forfeited his candidates), won 12 out of 23 seats leaflet introducing the Congress security money. To contest the Of the rest, 10 went to the UPA candidate, which high-lighted the 1962 election, Birendra Nath Ghatak (including 6 Communists) and one sufferings of the family for the had to resign his Government job to a Congress-supported Indepen­ in order to qualify as a candidate. cause of the national freedom mo­ dent. Pespite the pro-Congress He was, however, reportedly assur- vement, was about the only special political swing, there was a sharp ed that if he lost, he would be propaganda leaflet published locally conflict within the local Congress compensated with a similar job besides the All-India and State Party, This, plus the factionalism" after the elections. Young Ghatak Congress brochures on the Congress within the District Congress leader­ is an M A and a good speaker but Government's achievements. ship, led to the formation of a Pro­ his organizational abilities are gressive Coalition Board (two offi­ doubtful The Congress campaign rally cial Congressmen belonging to the picked up tempo only three days The Communist candidate, anti-officiai faction led by Deputy before the election when the then Rabindra Nath Mukherjee, is the Minister, Maya Banerjee, joined State Chief Minister, the late Dr B C Secretary of the Communist-con- the Board), which elected Biren Roy, and the State Congress Presi- trolled State Federation of Metal Roy's younger brother and chief dent, Atulya Ghosh, Jointly addres­ and Engineering Workers' Unions. lieutenant, Ramen Roy, as the sed a big public meeting on Febru- Mukherjee is also the leader of the Chairman and a dissident Congress- Communist group of Commissioners ary 22. mah, Sukumar Mukherjee, as the in the local Municipality, which is Vice-Chairman. The control of the Comminist's Superior Organisation controlled by a Progressive Coali­ Municipal administration remained The Communists, on the other tion Board dominated by the Com­ with the CPL-led UPA bloc which hand, depended mainly on their munists. also derived the main political ad­ organizational machinery and by vantage from the improved Munici­ A third candidate who entered the the time the Congress opened its pal administration. field rather late as an Independent central election office the Commu-

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nists had already set up local offices (2) Support from a section of of educated voters, He received in ail the 23 wards of the Munici­ Congressmen who favoured Dr an initial boost by the front page pality. In reply to Congress charges Majumdar as a more effective publicity in a widely circulated ver. the CPI candidate published a bio- candidate to defeat the Communists. nacular daily of one of his earlier graphic leaflet highlighting his These Congressmen, however, ulti­ meetings in which he castigated the contribution to the improved Munici­ mately supported the official Con- Government of India for discrimi­ pal administration, as well as to road development and other projects gress nominee following the Chief nation against Bengalis in the com­ in the area. Minister's public meeting. pilation of a History of the Indian Freedom Movement. He disclosed The CPI opened its campaign with (3) The local PSP leadership at the meeting that he resigned from a big rally — with a large proces­ which however, failed to build up the directorship of the Editorial sion of rice mill and other workers any organization. addressed by the CPI candidates for Board on that ground. This, the Assembly and Lok Sabha as There was noticeable middle-class and the fact that he is one of well as the CPI leader of the Oppo­ antipathy towards the PSP, and the the most prominent educationists sition in the State Assembly, Jyoti Communist campaign against Dr from East Bengal (it should be Basu, There was however, little Majumdar that he was virtually a remembered that people from East evidence of active support from PSP-sponsored candidate affected Bengal, formed over 50 per cent middle-class educated sections out­ his prospects to a large extent. In of the electorate) formed the main side the periphery of the party for fact, Dr Majumdar had to conti­ plank of his campaign. He issued the CPI. About a week before the nually refute this CPI charge that two leaflets, one an appeal to the elections, when the prospects of its he was a PSP-sponsored candidate. electorate explaining the need for a candidates for the Assembly and Lok Sabha seemed uncertain, the For more than a month Dr Maju- non-party leadership to safeguard CPI succeeded in getting Biren mdar's campaign consisted mainly the interests of the Bengalis. The Roy to address some four of its of local indoor meetings with groups other was an appeal in his favour by public meetings. The Roy brothers also realized that the Chairmanship of the Municipality may be endange­ red if they lost CPI support. The CPI used the support of the Munici­ pal Chairman, Ramen Roy, to counteract a leaflet issued by sup­ porters of the Independent candidate, Dr Ramesh Majumdar, questioning CPI claims of having improved the Municipal administration and the CPI MLA's contribution to the Government's road development and other projects.

P S P Ineffective Dr Ramesh Majumdar, who announced his decision to contest the election at a small gathering of local educationists and anti-Commu­ nist political workers on December 30, was the last entrant in the field. He had to depend mainly on the support of the educated sections of the electorate and the ineffective local PSP workers. The sponsors of his candidature banked heavily on three factors, almost all of which ultimately failed them. These were: (1) Support from pro-Biren Roy voters. This support was not, how­ ever, forthcoming since Roy acti­ vely supported the CPI election campaign. THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY September 1, 1962 distinguished leaders of West The factors that contributed to­ able swing towards the Congress Bengal including the National Pro­ wards this pro-Congress swing were: Party and a large turnout of the fessor, Br Satyen Bose, eminent (1) The appreciation, though electorate. In Behala, the faction- Jurist Dr R B Pal, former Hindu limited, by the educated middle-class ridden Congress organization failed, Mahasabha leader N C Chatterjee of the achievements of the Con- however, to derive full advantage and a few others, Several meetings gress Government in the two Five of this pro-Congress swing because organized 2-3 days prior to the date Year Plans despite the much-publi of internal disunity and rivalry, of polling and his walking tours in cized corruption; while the Communists mustered all some areas gave the appearance their strength. It has been suggest­ (2) The dormant anti-Communist of a spontaneous local upsurge in ed by neutral observers that the feeling on the Sino-Indian issue support of his candidature. So it Communists, besides mobilizing which partly alienated a section of appeared on polling day that a about 3,000 volunteers, the majority the middle-class; and strong triangular contest was taking of whom were brought from the place, which was also the impression (3) The Communists' failure to rural areas outside the constituency. created by reports in newspapers, make out any popular political issue spent a considerable sum of money, including the Statesman. against the ruling party. Their slo­ on the polling day, only a small gan for an alternative government part of which was locally raised. Congress Success among Refugees apparently created some resentment In the face of this ultimate polari­ A booth-wise analysis of voting in the minds of the more sophisti­ zation of forces and the vast mobi­ revealed that out of 101 booths, cated section of the electorate who lization of resources by the two Congress obtained a majority in 17 were provoked by it to come out in organized parties, the machinery of and the Communists in the rest. larger numbers to cast their votes. the Independent candidate virtually This was in sharp contrast to the broke down. The larger turnout in this election small Congress majority in just one was partly the result of the determi­ Despite its large vote, the Com­ booth in 1957, Congress did best nation of this section — usually munists seem worried about the in the refugee areas and the two careless about exercising their future while Congressmen seem to Municipal wards held by the dissi­ franchise - to prevent the election have realised the need to reorga­ dent Congress Commissioners who of an alternative government, and nize their party apparatus. In a joined the Progressive Coalition the Communists' efforts to counte­ post-election evaluation, local Con­ Board. These areas were inhabited ract the pro-Congress swing and gressmen have reportedly recogniz­ by rural agriculturists, small arti­ retain their seat. ed the need to revitalize the party sans and middle-class employees. and form a United Congress group One thing which helped the pro- The returns also showed that the in the local municipality. It is Congress swing in Behala at the Communists failed to poll an abso­ therefore possible that the hey-day last stage of the campaign was the lute majority in 11 more booths of the Communists, now deprived of leaflet brought out by Dr Ma Jum- with an upper income educated the support of a large section of dar's sponsors which successfully population where the combined educated middle class, is over de­ refuted the Communist candidate's spite their win in the 1962 election. votes of the Congress and the Inde­ claims to take credit for the local The elections, in the final analysis, pendent candidate were greater development plans. It gave the have brought about a new confidence then the CPI vote. In about 20 credit to the Congress Government in the local Congress, and Congress­ more booths the Communist victory and the personal efforts of the men no longer consider the area as over the combined Congress-Inde­ State Chief Minister, Dr Roy. The lost — as they were wont to do at pendent votes was marginal. leaflet was extensively quoted in the time of selection of the candi­ The booth-wise returns further the last Congress election meeting dates for the last general election. showed that Communist perfor­ addressed by the State Chief mance was at its best in the work­ Minister. ing class areas and to a lesser 'Alternative Government' Slogan extent, among the educated sec­ Protection to Antimony Mistires tions of the original settlers of the Industry On the other hand, the Com­ area. THE Government of India have munist threat to form an alterna­ accepted the Tariff Commis­ Reasons for Pro-Congress Swing tive government and some news­ papers' colourful account of Com­ sion's recommendation to continue The election revealed that the munist and Leftist prospects brought protection to crude antimony and organizational machinery of the about a change in the complacent antimony metal at the existing rate parties played a much greater role attitude of the State Congress of protection granted to the and in the outcome than the personality leadership and resulted in an all- mony industry till December 31, of the candidates. This, and the out Congress effort to defeat the 1963. The existing rates of protec­ impact of the general pre-election Leftist opposition. tive duty are 25 per cent ad valorem swing in favour of the Congress In Calcutta area were amply reflected An intensive political campaign in the case of crude antimony and in the voting in Behala where the bv the Congress in which the State 45 per cent ad valorem or Rs 83.60 election was held simultaneously Chief Minister Dr B C Roy took a per quintal, which-ever is higher, with the Calcutta district. leading part, resulted in a favour- in the case of antimony metal.

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