Nandigram will go for panchayat polls on 11 May in what could be a referendum on the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee's industrialisation policy. Keeping this in mind the CPI-M has chalked out its election machinery on the Keshpur and Garbeta model of 2001 to reign in its political adversaries in this rural fringe. Party insiders said the CPI-M had put its election machinery in place in each of the booths in Nandigram at least three months back. They formed a committee at each of the booths, headed by a party member (PM) who has direct connection with the respective branch committees. All decisions coming down from the district committee are communicated at the lowest level of the booth committee through the branch committee and the convener of the booth committee. "These booth committees headed by some trained cadres are the key in bringing the voters in favour of the party. They have already anticipated the number of guaranteed party voters in their booth committee meetings during the last month and have plans to attack the Opposition-dominated areas to regain their lost ground,' said a party insider. The booth committee members are asking the Opposition supporters either to surrender before the party or to leave the village. Those who did not follow their direction, are beaten up. During the attack on a particular village, which is still the stronghold of the Opposition, voter identity cards, mobile phones and even ration cards were seized by CPI-M cadres, so that villagers were unable to cast their votes. In a bid to bring villagers back into their party-fold, the booth committee members asked the Opposition members to take part in their rally or else they would be beaten up. Consequently, the CPI-M cadres offered compensation to them owing to the damage caused by their attack if they agreed to surrender before them. If any family surrendered itself before the CPI-M cadres, they are told to attend a training session organised by them, two days before the polls, on how they would cast their votes. In case the CPI-M cadres apprehend that some of these families may still cast their votes in favour of the Opposition, certain restrictions are imposed on them. The families are asked not to go to the polling booths to exercise their franchise and if required the party cadres would cast their votes for them. The party insiders also said on the day of poll, certain CPI-M cadres have been directed to threat Opposition agents so that they could come near the polling booths. In the run up to this panchayat poll, the CPI-M cadres have allegedly piled up a huge cache of arms, ammunition and bombs at various points at Nandigram and Khejuri. Worried villagers, mostly supporters of the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) have been compelled to take shelter either in the Nandigram block development office or in their relative's houses outside Nandigram.