Hooghly, one of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, is a district boasting four subdivisions: Chinsurah Sadar, Srirampur, Chandannagar, and Arambag. Historically, prior to colonization, the city of Hooghly served as a significant port for trade in India. With a population of 5,519,145 as per the 2011 census, Hooghly stands out as one of the most economically developed districts in West Bengal.
In the political realm, Hooghly has witnessed a diverse range of electoral outcomes over the years. In the inaugural Lok Sabha election in 1952, NC Chatterjee of the Hindu Mahasabha emerged victorious, defeating the Congress candidate. The subsequent elections saw a fluctuating pattern of victories, with candidates from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and the Indian National Congress taking turns to represent the constituency.
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In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Dr. Ratna De of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) managed to break the long-standing dominance of the CPM in the constituency by defeating the incumbent MP, Rupchand Pal, who had been elected six times previously.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Locket Chatterjee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Hooghly constituency, securing 6,71,448 votes. Dr. Ratna De of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came in second with 5,98,086 votes, while Pradip Saha of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) secured the third position with 1,21,588 votes.
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In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) asserted its dominance in the Hooghly constituency, sidelining the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). Dr. Ratna De emerged victorious with 614,312 votes. The runner-up candidate was Pradip Saha of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), who secured 425,228 votes. The total number of registered voters in Hooghly in 2014 was 1,350,939.
As the constituency prepares for yet another electoral showdown, the contest is expected to be closely watched, with political parties vying for the trust and support of the electorate.
Key candidates:
Candidate | Party |
Locket Chhatterjee | BJP |
Rachana Banerjee | TMC |
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