Name: Basant Kumar Khedia

Occupation: Owns a garment shop in Purulia town

Age: 35

Education: Graduate.

Annual income: Rs 7 lakh

Size of family: Mother, wife and two children (an eight-year-old daughter, a three-year-old son)

Seat: Purulia

Is there any one issue that is deciding how you will vote?

Not one, but the combination of a few issues will decide my vote.

Will you vote for the same party you voted for in 2016? If so, why?

Yes, I will vote for the same political party I voted for in 2016. It is because the party has done substantial amount of development in our area.

Three things that Mamata Banerjee has done that benefited you?

One, Purulia suffers from water scarcity and Mamata Banerjee has changed the situation in her second term as chief minister. Pipelines were laid and now water reaches our homes free.

Two, travelling in the town at night was a nightmare. Not just main roads, street lights have been installed in small lanes too.

Three, roads have become better and that has helped my movement within the district and to places like Bokaro and Dhanbad in Jharkhand. As I frequently travel to the neighbouring state, I can vouch that roads in Bengal are far better.

Three things Mamata has done that hurt you.

One, her stand that led the Tatas to relocate the Singur automobile plant to Sanand in Gujarat continues to have an adverse impact on the overall industrial scenario in the state.

Two, as chief minister her intemperate reactions when faced with uncomfortable slogans is unacceptable.

Three, her inability to crack down on Trinamul leaders involved in taking cut money from the poor to provide them welfare schemes.

Do you believe Mamata works for the poor or do you see her as part of the elite?

She certainly works for the poor and that was demonstrated during the pandemic and the lockdown. Purulia is a poor district but her government reached out to all needy people during the lockdown. Her government did support migrant workers when they returned from their workplaces outside Bengal.

What do you think of the charge that she is only a Pishi?

Are questions raised about Akhilesh Yadav, the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav?

Or for that matter, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is the son of Shibu Soren? If they can groom their children, what’s wrong in Mamata Banerjee grooming her nephew Abhishek to be her political heir?

Three things that Narendra Modi has done at the Centre that benefit you.

Sorry, not one central government scheme has benefited me directly or indirectly.

Three things that Modi has done at the Centre that hurt you?

One, building a wall to hide slums during then US President Donald Trump’s visit to Ahmedabad did hurt my self-esteem as a citizen of this country.

Two, appeasement of a few industrialists and privatisation of public sector units.

Three, failure to control inflation is adversely affecting our livelihood.

Does he work for the poor or do you think it is true that he is working for his cronies?

There are some central schemes for the benefit of the poor but the major policy decisions of the Modi government are aimed at helping his cronies.

Has your life got better since 2016 or worse?

Life has got better but I need to work far more to make my business grow.

What do you think about the Left’s chances and about its alliance?

I don’t think that the Left or its alliance stands a chance to win a clear majority. I also don’t think that the Left alliance will become a deciding factor in the formation of the government.

Do Hindus and Muslims live in harmony in your neighbourhood?

Yes, there is harmony between the two communities and I enjoy the bonding. I have 10 employees in my shop and interestingly five are Hindus and five are Muslims.

Their bonding is such that they celebrate festivals together.