In fact, so alarmed were the Marxists that they resorted to large-scale violence and intimidation before and during the polls. But Mamata Banerjee took up the challenge, seconded by the BJP. Far from fleeing the battle, as the Congress was forced to do in many districts in 1993, the new challengers have fought back fiercely.

Less than three months after it emerged as the Left's principal challenger, the Trinamool Congress-BJP combine has made large strides in villages too. Even as she complained of the CPI (M)'s rigging and strong-arm tactics on the poll day, Mamata Banerjee is not unhappy with the panchayat poll results.

Of the 45,000 gram panchayat results declared till thisevening, the Left Front won 26,196, TC 9,275, BJP 3,583, Congress 5,414 and others 1,610. Elections were held to 59,215 gram panchayat seats. In 1993, the Left captured 64 per cent of the gram panchayat seats. This time, as the results so far indicate, it will get around 58 per cent, the TC 21 per cent and the Congress 12 per cent.

The Opposition did not fare well at the other two levels - panchayat samitis and zilla parishads. Of a total of 8,706 panchayat samiti seats, results were declared for about 6,580. The Left was way ahead with 4,459, while the TC came a distant second with 1,139, Congress third with 554 and BJP fourth with 257. In the zilla parishads (total seats 713), the Left Front so far got 496, Congress 27, the TC 25 and the BJP one. But the Left's comfort with success at the two upper tiers has been tempered by anxiety over the growing popularity of Mamata Banerjee at the lowest gram panchayat level. The BJP too seems to have made substantial inroads into rural areas.

In her latestoutburst of anger against the Centre, Mamata claimed that the BJP had won only in places where it got her party's support. This is simply not true. Despite strains in its relations with the TC, the BJP seems to have made slow but steady progress in the villages on its own. Till Sunday evening, the BJP secured 62 gram panchayats on its own.

Even for Mamata, her rural gains have not been as quickfire as in urban areas during the first trial of strength during the Lok Sabha polls after she broke away from the Congress. It was evident in the Parliamentary poll results too - the rural electorate was not as hugely swayed by her fire and brimstone as the urban voters.

There seem to be to two sets of reasons for this - one relating to her political style and the other to the Left politics. She has become something of an icon with the anti-Left masses. She has thus taken away the bulk of Congress vote in Bengal. She is weaning away the disgruntled and disillusioned sections in the Left as well; but obviously itcannot be as fast or as impressive as her influence on anti-Left voters.

Although her ally, the BJP has ambitions of its own and is steadily carving out its own space in the anti-Left camp. New Delhi may have its own compulsions for keeping her happy. But the strains of the alliance showed in the rural polls. As for the Left, its grip over the peasants is still firmer than on workers or the urban middle classes. The party cannot, any more, dictate terms in cities and towns as it does in the villages. It cannot provide industrial or other jobs; but it still distributes largesse in the villages, thanks to huge Central rural development funds at its disposal. And, the Marxists are still reaping the benefits, though on a diminishing scale, of their earlier struggle for land and the rural poor.

But there simply isn't enough land to distribute any more. More importantly, land does not give enough economic security any more.

Media to be blamed, says TC

Much in the style of the CPI (M), which alwaysblames press at the drop of a hat, the Trinamool Congress today blamed the Fourth Estate "for failing to highlight the CPI (M) atrocities on the party workers during the panchayat elections". The CPI (M) got away with `the atrocities', which the TC believes to be "the prime reason for the debacle in panchayat polls". "And the press failed to highlight it by helping the CPI (M) get away with it," accused Pankaj Banerjee, party chairman. Interestingly, veteran CPI (M) leader and WB CM Jyoti Basu also felt happy when he said, "I am happy that the results did not go according to the wishes of a section of press which predicted a TC-BJP sweep in rural Bengal."