Before the polls, various adivasi organisations of Purulia, Bankura and Birbhum shunned the CPM and had reached out to several political parties for talks but none allegedly came forward.

As a result Thursday’s polls recorded a very low voter turnout in tribal-dominated areas of Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and North and South Dinajpur.

“Why don’t you ask the CPM bigwigs why are the tribals, who were earlier with us, refraining from voting. I do not want to say anything,” said Rupchand Murmu, former CPM MP.

Manohar Tirkey, RSP candidate from Alipurduar, said: “The Adivasi Bikas Parishad members asked the tribals not to vote. Therefore there was a low turnout in areas like Binnaguri, Telipara and even Santhali tea garden area. Apart from this, there are issues like closed tea gardens and lack of employment which played a role in the low voter turnout, which will help the Opposition.”

Even in tribal-dominated areas of North Bengal like Kalchini, Banarhat, Nagrakata, Binnaguri, Telipara, Santhali tea garden areas in North Bengal, the turnout was low. In 93 booths in West Midnapore, Jalpaiguri and South Dinajpur no votes were cast.

In Lalgarh-Belpahari areas no vote was cast in 28 booths and in a number of booths only one or two votes were cast. For instance in Nadaria polling station three votes were cast out of 957, in Madhupur only six votes were cast out of 1,078, in Babuibasha only four votes were cast out of 642. Lalgarh had only 13 per cent turnout in 49 booths. With no improvement in the standard of living, Adivasis residing in villages of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore are now united under the banner of the Adivasi Mulbasi Janaganer Committee.

Shambhu Singh, convenor of the committee, said: “In the 32 years of CPM rule, the condition of the adivasis has turned from bad to worse. Earlier, we invited political parties apart from the CPM and RSP for a meeting with us. We said our committee will urge our followers to vote only for the party that promises to meet our demands. But none came forward.”

The charter of demands included withdrawal of police cases against the villagers mostly tagged as Maoists along with apologies from the senior officers, new minimum wages of Rs 125 with guarantee of 100 days of work for everyone, more development and revival of cottage industries in the region.

The situation was no different in North Bengal where tribals are united under the banner of the Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Bikas Parishad. “Tribals have no faith in this system. Every time they vote for someone or the other but nothing happens. Therefore, why should they believe in this system and vote?” said Birsa Tirkey, president of the parishad.

Banspahari too says no to vote
The vote boycott call given by CPI (Maoist) created impact in Belpahari’s Banspahari area on Thursday’s polling. According to district administration, at least 8,000 to 9,000 voters did not turn up to vote in the 14 booths in the area, which falls under Jhargram Lok Sabha seat. Banspahari has been a stronghold of the Maoists for a long time. The Election Commission had deployed 21 companies of central paramilitary forces in Belpahari and helicopters were used to conduct aerial survey. At Siarbindha, Chakadoba and Jamtalgora villages, locals tried to stop jawans from entering booths. Jagannath Singh Sardar, a local leader of the Police Resistance Committee, justified the poll boycott saying that it could have been conducted without police force.