In Kumarganj, an Opposition ‘Charge Sheet’ Turns a Wall Into a Campaign Stage

January 07, 2026 Times of Dakshin Dinajpur 

Development War in Kumarganj

By KAMAL KUMAR BISWAS 

Senior correspondent .TOD.kumarganj 

A single poster pasted by the roadside was enough to slow passers-by on Saturday, as residents paused to read a bold headline demanding accountability from the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress.

The program, billed as “Answer Us, Kumarganj,” was held in the Nakkati area of the Kumarganj Assembly constituency in Dakshin Dinajpur district. The poster, described by organizers as a “charge sheet,” was unveiled by Satyendra Nath Roy, a vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Scheduled Caste Morcha in the state and the party’s legislator from Gangarampur. He was joined by the district president, Swarup Chowdhury; a former district president, Pranab Chowdhury; the district secretary, Rajat Ghosh; and other party workers.

Printed in black, white and saffron and bearing the lotus symbol of the B.J.P., the poster read like an indictment. In a series of bullet points, it alleged corruption, insecurity and administrative failures in the area.

Among the accusations were claims of illegal sand extraction from rivers, schools near the international border remaining closed, and newly built embankments developing cracks within months. The document also referred to crimes against women and minors, alleging inaction by the authorities.

One section contended that large fissures had appeared in a river embankment shortly after construction, calling it evidence of graft. Another said roads in several gram panchayat areas were in such poor condition that daily travel had become difficult for ordinary people, with repeated petitions yielding no remedy. A long-promised bridge, the poster said, remained incomplete, forcing residents onto what it described as a risky alternative.

At the bottom, large type urged voters to bring the B.J.P. to power in the state. Reproductions of newspaper headlines about crime and irregularities were printed alongside a QR code that organizers said would lead to further information.

Leaders of the Trinamool Congress have consistently rejected such charges, maintaining that the opposition magnifies isolated incidents for political gain. Party representatives often cite welfare initiatives and rural infrastructure projects that they say have improved living standards across the district.In this regard, Trinamool’s block president, Ganesh Das, said that ordinary people do not want to listen to the BJP’s claims. He added that BJP leaders only make statements and do no work toward the socio-economic development of the people.

Still, the appearance of the poster underscored how intensely contested the political terrain has become. Beyond rallies and street-corner meetings, even a sheet of paper on a wall can serve as a forum for argument.Some readers nodded as they scanned the list; others walked past. For a moment, at least, the poster transformed a stretch of public space into a place of pointed dissent.