Phase 6 of Lok Sabha election 2024: BJP may hold an edge over TMC in Bengal

BJP, this time, still enjoys an edge over TMC amid the shifting political discourse in Bengal.

In the penultimate round of voting on May 25 in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds an edge as per the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Out of the eight Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls in Phase 6, five went in favour of the BJP and three to the All India Trinamool Congress, popular as Trinamool Congress or TMC.

However, the situation has changed in some of these in the present political context. Incidentally, some of these constituencies border Jharkhand and Odisha and were once infested with Left-wing extremism.

This region is part of the tribal belt in West Bengal, where Santhals, the most populous tribe in the state, primarily inhabit the districts of Bankura, Purulia, and Paschim (West) Medinipur. The Munda tribe resides in the hilly terrains of Purulia and Paschim Medinipur, while the Oraon or Kurukh tribe is in the plains of the Purulia district.

Tamluk

Tamluk (general) constituency is in Purba (East) Medinipur district where TMC candidate Dibyendu Adhikari defeated BJP’s Siddharth Naskar by over 1.9 lakh votes in 2019 and Mandira Panda of the CPI(M) by almost 5 lakh votes in a bye-election in 2016. It was earlier (2009-2016) held by his brother Suvendu Adhikari on a TMC ticket, who then became MLA and is now with the BJP and leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly.

Suvendu led the Nandigram uprising against the then-Left Front government’s bid at acquiring land for a chemical hub. He is among those named by the main accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, Sudipto Sen. Suvendu, once a trusted aide of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, shot to fame by defeating her in a close contest at his home turf of Nandigram assembly constituency in 2021, forcing her to participate in a bye-election from Bhabanipur in order to continue as the chief minister.

With the Adhikary family politically drifting away from TMC, Mamata Banerjee has nominated party youth wing member Debangshu Bhattacharya of "Khela Hobe" song fame. He is pitted against BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay who recently resigned from his judicial position. He is a known TMC critic who has handled important cases including the teachers’ recruitment scam as a judge of Calcutta High Court. He is thus a popular face among those opposed to the TMC.

In 2019, the constituency had 16,94,646 electors, out of which 14,46,499 or 85.36 percent cast their votes. Among the seven assembly segments, three went to the BJP and four to TMC in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha election.

Kanthi

Kanthi (general) Lok Sabha constituency is another seat considered a stronghold of the Adhikary family who led a violent uprising against the then Left Front government’s bid at acquiring land in Nandigram for a chemical hub.

It is also in Purba (East) Medinipur district where TMC candidate Sisir Adhikari defeated BJP’s Debasish Samanta by over 1.1 lakh votes in 2019, and CPI(M) candidate Tapas Sinha by almost 2.3 lakh votes in 2014.

Sisir (83), Suvendu’s father, won here in 2009 as well. In 2024, the youngest among his four sons, Soumendu Adhikari, will contest from this seat on a BJP ticket against Uttam Barik, TMC district president.

The Kanthi Parliamentary seat was earlier known as Contai Lok Sabha constituency. Among the seven assembly segments here, the TMC won three in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha election, while four went to the BJP.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 14,24,247, or 85.79 percent of its total number of 16,60,147 electors cast their vote.

Ghatal

Ghatal (general) Lok Sabha is represented by Bengali cine star Deepak Adhikari (Dev) for the TMC. In 2019, Dev defeated former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh, who contested on a BJP ticket, by more than one lakh votes. In 2014, he beat CPI’s Santosh Rana by over 2.6 lakh votes. The actor, who helped people in distress during the Covid pandemic in every way possible, was reluctant to contest again but is said to have been persuaded by TMC chairperson and chief minister Mamata Banerjee herself.

This time Dev is pitted against another film actor, Hiran Chatterjee of the BJP, and Tapan Ganguly of the CPI, who is supported by the Congress.

In 2009, the seat was represented by the trade union leader Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI.

Between 1977 and 2009, this seat was known as Panskura Lok Sabha constituency. But the Ghatal constituency existed earlier too (1951-1977). Currently, among the seven assembly segments of this Lok Sabha constituency, six are in Paschim Medinipur district, and one is in Purba Medinipur district. Six of these went to the TMC and one to the BJP in the 2021 assembly election.

In 2019, 14,88,818 or 82.71 percent of the constituency’s total number of 18,00,002 electors exercised their franchise.

Jhargram (ST)

Jhargram Lok Sabha constituency is reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates. It went to BJP candidate Kunar Hembram in 2019 who resigned early March without giving any specific reason. The TMC gained this seat from the CPI(M) in 2014 but lost subsequently.

In 2024, the BJP has fielded Pranat Tudu, who will contest against TMC’s Kalipada Soren and Sonamani Murmu (Tudu) of CPI(M). All seven assemblies went to TMC in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha poll.

There were 16,41,868 electors registered in this constituency, of which 14,06,214 or 85.65 percent voted in 2019.

Medinipur

Medinipur (general) Lok Sabha seat was represented by BJP leader Dilip Ghosh who has now been nominated from Bardhaman–Durgapur. In 2019, he defeated Manas Bhunia of TMC by almost 89,000 votes. In 2014, actor Sandhya Roy gained this seat for TMC from the CPI.

In 2024, fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul has been nominated by the BJP against actor June Malia of TMC and Biplab Bhatta of the CPI.

Between 1989 and 2001 Indrajit Gupta of the CPI represented the seat in Lok Sabha. He was Union Home Minister (June 1996–March 1998) in former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's cabinet, followed by IK Gujral’s cabinet.

Six of its assembly segments are in Paschim Medinipur and one in Purba Medinipur district, of which one was won by BJP and the rest by TMC in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha poll.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, 14,09,815, or 84.21 percent of its 16,74,236 electors exercised their franchise.

Purulia

Purulia (general) Lok Sabha constituency elected BJP’s Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato in 2019, who defeated Mriganka Mahato of TMC by over two lakh votes.

This constituency in the Purulia district of West Bengal has 16,45,884 electors, of which 13,55,236 or 82.34 percent cast their votes in the last Lok Sabha election.

The BJP has renominated Singh while TMC has fielded Santiram Mahato, who is currently a minister in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet. The Left is supporting Congress leader Nepaldev Mahato in this seat. However, it is among the seats where Left Front partner Forward Bloc has fielded a candidate.

In the 2021 assembly election, five of the Vidhan Sabha segments here went to the BJP and two to the TMC.

Bankura

Bankura (general) Lok Sabha seat was among the 18 seats won by BJP in 2019, when BJP’s Subhas Sarkar defeated the closest contender Subrata Mukherjee of TMC by over 1.7 lakh votes. Sarkar, a medical practitioner by profession, is Union Minister of State in the Narendra Modi-led government.

While the BJP renominated Sarkar, the TMC has fielded Arup Chakraborty. Nilanjan Dasgupta of the CPI(M) is supported by the Congress.

The Lok Sabha seat comprises seven assembly segments, of which four went to the BJP and three to TMC in the 2021 Vidhan Sabha poll.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, 13,71,855 or 83.2 percent of its 16,48,906 electors had voted.

Bishnupur (SC)

Bishnupur Lok Sabha constituency is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, where BJP candidate Saumitra Khan defeated TMC’s Shyamal Santra in the 2019 election. In 2014, then a TMC nominee, Khan gained the seat from sitting CPI(M) MP Susmita Bauri.

In 2024, the BJP has reposed its faith in Khan, who will be facing Sujata Mandal of TMC and Shital Koiborto of the CPI(M). The Left candidate is supported by Congress.

Among its assembly segments, one is in Purba Bardhaman, and the other six are in Bankura district. Among these, four went to the TMC and three to the BJP in the 2021 assembly election.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 14,20,648, or 87.31 percent of its 16,27,199 electors cast their votes.