The results of the municipal polls held recently in Haldia, West Bengal, were decoded furiously by pundits of ‘national’ politics. Did the fact that the Left Front had retained control over the municipal board settle the issue? Some argued that the sharp fall in the Left’s vote share — by almost 17 per cent since 2002 — meant that its losses would return to haunt. There was talk, again, of the viability of the Mahajot. After all, in these polls, the notoriously divided opposition to the Left Front had banded together and posted a respectable electoral showing. But why should Haldia’s local politics matter at all to the country? Subrata Nagchoudhury unravels the reasons

• Why did a municipal poll in Haldia hog national attention?

The proximity of Haldia to Nandigram was one of the reasons why this poll seemed to be more than just another municipal election. It may be recalled that the West Bengal government had proposed to acquire 10,000 acres of land in Nandigram as part of an SEZ. It was stalled following resistance by villagers that resulted in police firing on March 14 in which 14 were killed.

Geographically, Haldia is just across the Haldi river from Nandigram and the people here are heavily dependent on the port town for livelihood. The March 14 police firing in Nandigram was an important issue in the Haldia polls.

• Is there another reason why Haldia is politically significant today?

... contd.