Kharagpur's Mr Muscle may tilt the scales

Kharagpur: Still under 30 and not even a politician, A Sriniwas Rao Naidu holds the key to who wins or loses the fight for the Kharagpur (Town) assembly seat. Srinu Naidu, as he is popularly known, may not hold an official political position, but his clout is such that whichever candidate Srinu backs has a high chance of winning. Who he will support, however, is unclear.
"I haven't made up my mind whether or not to support anyone. Chacha (Gyan Singh Sohanpal) had come to me before the 2011 polls. He sought my support. He won then for Trinamool and Congress were together. Now things are different. When CPM was in power, they sent me to jail. Now Trinamool does that too..." he says.
Srinu, who has produced a Tollywood flick, gifted his New Settlement locality an ambulance, a pay-loader and a tractor, along with a 1,000 litre water tanker to solve the locality's water crisis, is also facing 40-45 criminal cases - 10 of them murder charges. "I've stopped counting them. Whenever anything happens in Kharagpur, I am slapped with yet another criminal case," he explains.
His rise to power has been meteoric - starting with a challenge to Basab Rambabu's clout. Once a Forward Bloc man, Rambabu, by then, was enmeshed in his own problems. A changed political regime and legal issues were bogging him down. Rambabu has now bought his peace by aligning with the ruling Trinamool.
Prior to the Kharagpur municipality poll in April, 2014, Srinu's wife Pooja contested on a BJP ticket and won, defeating a Trinamool sitting councillor. Six other BJP councillors also notched up their debut win, queering the pitch for Trinamool, which was locked with Congress at 11 seats each in the 35-member municipality board. Pooja defected to Trinamool after a month and days later, Srinu walked out a free man from the Midnapore prison.
In 2016, Srinu sits in a Trinamool party office (actually his wife's, he explains) with a new Audi parked outside. Well-built, with tattoos on his arms, sporting gold earrings, a neck chain, bangle and rings - he is guarded by eight neatly dressed youths. The vice-president of an INTTUC-affiliated labour cell (which Trinamool says has now been disbanded), he is also a railway employee posted in the mechanical department in the railway workshop number 20.
"I only want public amenities for people. Take a look around here. This is railway land, but it does nothing. Neither does the municipality. I plough back whatever I earn from the car-rental and land businesses here. I now want to build a public park. This is what the politicians should be doing. People love me and it is my task to look after them," he says.
. He also provides Rs one-lakh to Rs 10-lakh "medical assistance" to those ailing.
Srinu Naidu, by his own admission, is facing 40-45 criminal cases - 10 of them murder charges. "I've stopped counting them, actually. Anything happens in Kharagpur, and I am slapped with yet another criminal case," he says, sheepishly.
Srinu's rise has been meteoric. He emerged in the scene doing the unthinkable - challenging Basab Rambabu's (FB) clout. Initially, dismissed as a brash and an adventurous novice, Srinu proved his critics wrong. Rambabu, by then, was enmeshed with his own problems. A changed political regime and legal issues were bogging him down. Rambabu has bought his peace now aligning with the ruling Trinamool. He refused to speak. "I am busy with my daughter's wedding. I have nothing to say."
Unlike Rambabu, Srinu waded into politics recently. Prior to the Kharagpur municipality's poll in April, 2014, his wife Pooja contested on a BJP ticket. Pooja won defeating a Trinamool Congress sitting councilor. Six other BJP councilors also notched up their debut win. By doing so, they queered the pitch for Trinamool Congress who were locked with Congress at 11 seats each in the 35-member municipality board. Pooja defected to Trinamool a month later, days later Srinu walked out a free man from the Midnapore prison. Incidentally, Pooja proposed chairperson Pradip Sarkar's name in the high-voltage June, 2014 meeting which witnessed the ruling Trinamool Congress formally taking control of the municipality board, which they couldn't win outright two-months back.
Cut to 2016. Srinu sits confidently, in a Trinamool party office (actually his wife's, he explains) with a brand spanking new Audi parked outside. Well-built, his tattooed forearms are not the only thing which sets him apart. Gold earrings, neck chain, bangle and rings complete his look. Eight neatly dressed youths keep a close eye on the conversation with him. Srinu says, "See I haven't made up my mind whether or not to support anyone. Chacha (Gyan Singh Sohanpal) had come to me before the 2011 polls. He sought my support. He won then for Trinamool and Congress were together. Now things are different." For the record, Srinu is the vice-president of an INTTUC affiliated labour cell (which Trinamool says has now been disbanded).
He is also a railway employee. His place of posting - the mechanical department in the railway workshop number 20.
"I only want public amenities for people. Take a look around here. This is railway land, but it does nothing. Neither does the municipality. I plough back whatever I earn through by car-rental and land businesses here. I now want to build a public park. This is what the politicians should be doing. People love me and it is my task to look after them. Every day I wake up at 6 am and go and meet people in their home," he says.
Srinu, however, remains non-committal on his political role. "When the CPM was in power, they sent me to jail. Now Trinamool does that too. You asked me whether it pained to get this tattoos done on my arms. No it didn't. I have been tortured and attacked so many times since childhood that I feel no pain now," he says.
EOM
Who is Srinu Naidu?
Feared and liked in equal measure, his name figures in 40-45 criminal cases.
Srinu was implicated by police in 10 murder cases, he is facing trial in some.
Srinu's wife Pooja was an elected BJP councilor, she defected to Trinamool.
Srinu is believed to be close to ruling Trinamool Congress.
His rise coincided with Basab Rambabu's ebbing clout.
Why is Srinu important?
In the approximate 2.9 lakh population in Kharagpur (municipality), Telugu-speaking people form a majority.
BJP had won seven seats in the April, 2014 municipality polls; the party state president Dilip Ghosh is the party candidate here.
Nonagenarian Gyan Singh Sohanpal, a record 10 time MLA from Kharagpur, will contest again, at 93 possibly his last.
Trinamool Congress candidate Ramaprasad Tiwari, the party's district president, is not a Kharagpur local. He has never won an assembly election before.