Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is no longer in the race to win this Lok Sabha constituency which he represented for 24 years, but his summary expulsion from the Communist Party of India-Marxist has ironically turned voters against his replacement candidate.
The shadow of the redoubtable Marxist leader haunts CPI-M candidate Ramchandra Dom whenever he goes campaigning in this constituency, now renamed Bolpur after delimitation, which goes to the poll on May 7.
Sensing the voters' mood, Congress' Asit Mal has been trying to rub salt to the wounds of Somnath sympathisers. "CPI-M is in trouble here and they have to count the cost of sacking Chatterjee. People and the CPI-M cadre have not taken his expulsion well," Mal said.
Dom has the onerous task of filling in Chatterjee's shoes and he admitted it, saying it was indeed difficult to take his place. "I cannot say I am his successor. His personality and charisma set him apart."
The only factor working to Dom's advantage is the enormous goodwill Chatterjee earned through his development work heundertook in this once sleepy constituency. Known as the gateway to Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan ('abode of peace'), Bolpur had very little to talk about before Chatterjee came to represent it. "Using his influence in New Delhi, he introduced