An assistant professor and a young civil engineer have emerged winners at the just-concluded panchayat elections in Cooch Behar, much to the surprise of political veterans and residents of the district.

Both Sablu Barman, who is an assistant professor at the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barman University, and Anupam Das, who is a BTech in civil engineering from Calcutta’s Jadavpur University, contested from Trinamul and emerged winners.

While Barman has experience in electoral politics, Anupam is a debutant.

Barman, who is 40 and has a doctorate in Bengali, contested as a Trinamul candidate in a panchayat samiti seat in Mathabhanga-II block of the district. After his win, he intends to work for the “infrastructure development” of his area.

A resident of Mathabhanga-II block, Barman has a number of research scholars working under his mentorship.

But the academic was always interested in politics. In the rural polls of 2018, he contested as a Trinamul candidate from Nishiganj II gram panchayat of Mathabhanga-II block and won. Serving as a member of the gram panchayat gave him the experience to aim for the panchayat samiti seat in Mathabhanga-II block again.

“People often say that fewer number of educated persons are seen in today’s political arena, especially at the local or grassroots levels. That is why I decided to joined politics. And I am working my way up. Instead of filing my nomination for the zilla parishad seat in 2023, I chose to contest in a panchayat samiti seat. I want to learn political lessons in a slow and ready manner and simultaneously work for the development of my area and the entire block,” said Barman.

Twenty-seven-year-old civil engineer Anupam Das also thought along similar lines.

Anupam, who won as a Trinamul candidate from a seat in Khagrabari panchayat of Cooch Behar-II block, said he was active in student politics and wants to be in politics all his life.

“Of course, as a Jadavpur University student, I got job offers during a campus interview. But I decided to choose politics over a job. As I am from a rural area, I thought of contesting at the panchayat level to start working among my people,” said the youth.

“I am ready to provide my expertise as an engineer if it is needed for the development of my area,” he added.

Political veterans in Cooch Behar said candidates such as Barman and Anupam were rare in the panchayat elections.

“We have seen many schoolteachers contesting in the rural elections. But it is rare to see people with doctorates and engineering degrees filing nominations in rural polls,” said a senior Left leader.

Trinamul leaders of the district said that the call of Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamul’s national general secretary, influenced both Barman and Anupam.

“Abhishek Banerjee wanted to form a corruption-free and efficient panchayat system in Bengal. He asked like-minded people to be a part of grassroots democracy. That’s why people like Barman and Das felt encouraged to contest the polls,” said a party functionary. “Their presence will definitely help in better functioning of rural bodies. We hope more such people join our party.”