Smoking is not only injurious to health but economy too. The hapless Bidi workers of Jangipur, Raghunathganj, Bhagabangola in Murshidabad district realize it more than anyone else.

Notwithstanding they have to cling to the profession because they have nowhere else to go or no other calling to fall back on.”We were promised by Abhishek Banerjee three years ago that they will raise our wage to Rs 240 but nothing happened,” says Pratibha Biwi adding for every thousand bidis that she rolls she is paid Rs 170.

“It take whole day to do that after jugging with other household chores like cooking, cleaning, reaching the children to school and helping the old parents-in-law,” she moans.

Bidi workers form a formidable force in Murshidabad district with about 6 lakh household and about 15 lakh people involved in the profession that is the economic mainstay of rural Murshidabad. The district once ruled by the Nawabs of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha — until Nawab Siraj ud Daulah fell to the machinations of Lord Clive at the Battle of Plassey — sends three Lok Sabha members one each from Murshidabad, Jangipur and Behrampore seats.

Late President of India Pranab Mukherjee and his son Abhijeet won twice from Jangipur before

the seat went to the Trinamool Congress whereas Behrampore has continued to remain a stronghold of Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Chowdhury since1998. Murshidabad seat which too has been held by the TMC for the past two terms has been witnessing a good groundswell in favour of the Left with CPI(M) State secretary Md Salim strengthened by a solid backing from the Congress giving the TMC a good run for its money.

But things finally boil down to Bidi politics as there at least half-a-dozen Bidi manufacturing units in the districts owned by businessmen who are active members and fund-raisers of the

TMC. “The poor people know that no one save the Left will raise the issue of the Bidi workers in Parliament … so they are keeping faith on the CPI(M) in Murshidabad,” says Salim a former MP from Raiganj. Sayna Mondal says a graduate who shuttles her professional career between giving tuitions and bidi-making too is disgusted with the TMC Government.