Asim hits campaign trail with gusto

SALT LAKE: Asim Dasgupta is no stranger to elections and campaigns. Finance minister in the Left Front regime for about 24 years, he won five assembly elections since 1987. He lost in 2011 Assembly polls when the Left Front government was toppled and again in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Unfazed, the economist-politician is back in the poll arena with gusto.The Left Front fielded Dasgupta as its mayoral candidate in the Salt Lake-Rajarhat civic polls, pushing up the tempo of the lacklustre elections several notches. Rival parties, including Trinamool Congress and BJP, have not fielded any mayoral candidate.
Dasgupta, arguably, tops the list of heavyweight candidates contesting the October 3 polls. The veteran CPM leader hit the campaign trail the day after he was named the candidate from Salt Lake Ward 32 about a week ago.
On Saturday, his door-to-door campaign — which involved climbing four floors to reach his voters at Karunamoyee Housing Society — drew admiration and approval. It would be his party’s delight if these feelings are reflected in the EVMs.
Clad in his trademark white full-sleeve shirt and white trousers, 69-year-old Dasgupta set out for campaigning a little after 10 am. His first stop: Block E at Karunamoyee Housing Society.
A clutch of local CPM leaders accompanied him. At every apartment, they rang the doorbell to meet residents, mostly senior citizens.
Sulochana Bihani, an elderly resident, was overwhelmed as Dasgupta addressed her as “Ma” and with folded hands sought her support. As sweat streamed down Dasgupta’s face, she asked him to come in for some water.
“You don’t need to request us. You don’t need any introduction. Don’t worry,” said Bihani.
When Chandrama Sen, 85, opened the door to find Dasgupta at her threshold, she was all smile. “Apni eshechhen, amar bari dhonyo hoye gelo (I am honoured that you’ve come to my house),” she said.
Scores of elderly residents cajoled him not to climb the stairs. “Please don’t do this. You need to stay well for us,” said Manoj Sarkar, a retired government employee. Dasgupta insisted he felt happy at the opportunity to meet people.
“I grew up in Darjeeling. I am used to climbing,” said Dasgupta.
After he left, Ajit Thakkar of E3 said, “Last evening we were discussing that he is the finest candidate around — highly educated, very decent. Despite being the finance minister for so long, he is free of blemish or controversy.”
At the Chatterjees’ apartment, the lady of the house was busy in the kitchen. Dasgupta told her husband, “It’s a delicious aroma wafting out of your kitchen. Someday I would love to be a beneficiary of a meal with you.”
There were also those who were a tad cold to Dasgupta. An elderly gentleman, who retired after a stint abroad, belonged to a family of Left supporter for decades. “But, I am disillusioned after some bad experiences during their rule,” he said, requesting anonymity.
Then there were the likes of Ramala Chatterjee who knew Dasgupta’s mother, social worker and educationist Mrinalini Dasgupta. “You are the worthy son of a worthy mother,” she told Dasgupta.
Several residents like Chatterjee spoke to him about the difficulties of the elderly living alone. Dasgupta assured them describing his party’s plan for senior citizens. “Whether we win or not, we will form groups of young people drawn from our party in each block in Salt Lake. We’ve identified about nine important needs of the elderly citizens which this group will take care of,” said Dasgupta.
These groups would regularly visit the elderly residents of the block to ask about their needs. They would help with various needs, including medical issues, payment of bills and even daily shopping for stuff fish and vegetables.
Dasgupta unfailingly asked everyone he met to reach the booth early on poll day to cast their vote. “If people can go out and cast their vote, we have a fair chance,” he said.