Polling will happen in Balurghat on April 26, within the second of the seven phases within the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. (Representational picture/PTI)
Dr Sukanta Majumdar from the Bharatiya Janata Occasion is the incumbent MP right here and is ready to defend the seat. The opposite key candidates are Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Occasion
Balurghat is likely one of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. Whereas six of the meeting segments of Balurghat constituency are in Dakshin Dinajpur district, one is in Uttar Dinajpur. Though reserved for Scheduled Castes till 2009, it has been a common seat since. Balurghat includes the next meeting segments: Itahar (TMC), Kushmandi (TMC), Kumarganj (TMC), Balurghat (BJP), Tapan (BJP), Gangarampur (BJP), and Harirampur (TMC).
Dr Sukanta Majumdar from the Bharatiya Janata Occasion is the incumbent MP right here and is ready to defend the seat. The opposite key candidates are Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Occasion. Polling will happen on April 26, within the second of the seven phases within the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Political Dynamics
- For the BJP, profitable Balurghat is a matter of status, since its state president Dr Sukanta Majumdar is on the poll right here. In 2019, the BJP had received the seat, however with a margin of nearly 33,000 votes. In a Lok Sabha constituency witnessing a battle of heavyweights, that isn’t a really spectacular determine. Extra importantly, it indicators that the seat nonetheless has the potential of being wrested by the TMC.
- It’s subsequently not stunning that the BJP’s single-point agenda in Balurghat is to not simply win the seat, however improve Dr Majumdar’s victory margin to over 1 lakh votes.
- Inputs from the bottom recommend that the battle for Balurghat is tied between the BJP and TMC, though the saffron social gathering holds a slight edge. That is largely as a result of Dr Sukanta Majumdar is essentially seen as an MP who has been energetic on the bottom for the previous yr, and has introduced constructive change to his constituency.
- Amongst Majumdar’s greatest achievements as MP has been the development and enlargement of railway connectivity in Balurghat. The BJP state president, who was beforehand a professor, is assured that his efforts to attach Balurghat and neighbouring areas in north Bengal to the railway community, together with the launch of the Sealdah-Balurghat Categorical and different prepare companies, will contribute considerably to securing victory by a margin exceeding one lakh votes. The BJP has in the meantime accused the TMC of neglecting Balurghat and never caring about its improvement since it’s an “inside” constituency.
- Apart from, Majumdar can also be credited for getting improvement funds from the Centre for the betterment of Balurghat.
- When it comes to attacking the TMC, among the many greatest points being raised by the BJP are corruption, lawlessness and the ruling social gathering’s indecisiveness to behave in opposition to legal components. The occasions which have unfolded in Sandeshkhali, and the way during which makes an attempt have been made to guard the alleged perpetrator of all of it, Shajahan Sheikh, are among the many focus factors of the BJP’s marketing campaign.
- The BJP additionally realises that the combat in Balurghat this time round is probably tougher than in 2019. Sukanta Majumdar, regardless of being the state BJP president, has been pressured to focus on his constituency alone within the run-up to 2 election phases. Primarily, the TMC has been in a position to include Sukanta Majumdar to Balurghat not less than till April 26, which is when the constituency goes to vote.
- For the reason that BJP fielded Sukanta Majumdar, who’s a political heavyweight in West Bengal, it grew to become crucial for the TMC to match the tempo. That is why the TMC has fielded state minister Biplab Mitra from Balurghat.
- The Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency has been switching arms since 2014. As soon as a bastion of the Left and its allies, Balurghat voted for the Revolutionary Socialist Occasion constantly from 1977 to 2009. Lastly, in 2014, TMC’s Arpita Ghosh breached the Left citadel and received the seat for Mamata Banerjee. In 2019, the seat flipped once more, and went to the BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar. Given how Balurghat has voted incumbents out in two consecutive common elections now, the TMC is hopeful it could possibly edge Majumdar out this time.
- The TMC is counting on a few of its flagship schemes to swing probably the most essential voters to its facet. Trinamool’s distinctive promoting proposition this time is the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which was launched in 2021 to offer girls belonging to the final class with a stipend of Rs 500 each month, whereas the quantity for SC and ST girls was mounted at Rs 1,000. Within the state funds for this yr, nonetheless, TMC selected to go down the street of populism and elevated the allowance for common girls below the scheme to Rs 1,000 and for SC/ST girls to Rs 1,200. Ever since, the social gathering has been going door to door explaining the hike in allowance for ladies and the way that is Mamata Banerjee’s reward.
- Observers on the bottom say the SC, ST and OBC vote might be cut up between the BJP and TMC this time round, with the saffron social gathering probably getting about 30% of the votes from these communities. In Balurghat, the profitable vote share is often about 45%. Each the TMC and BJP are mentioned to have a stable 40% vote financial institution, and the combat actually is for swinging an extra 5_6% of the vote to win the seat. TMC’s money doles for ladies will certainly assist the social gathering.
- The TMC is relying totally on its alleged claims that the BJP authorities on the Centre has withheld funds for MGNREGA and PM Awas schemes. The TMC cadre is attempting to take this message to each home throughout West Bengal and paint the picture that the BJP is in opposition to the state’s improvement. Trinamool’s sustained marketing campaign on this subject has made it among the many greatest speaking factors this election season. However, the BJP, and PM Narendra Modi himself have alleged that the funds for these schemes have been swindled by the TMC and that their corruption is to be blamed for Bengal not creating quick.
- Balurghat has about 29% Muslim voters, most of whom are anticipated to vote for the TMC.
- There are a number of elements that might work to Biplab Mitra’s drawback. First, he’s an MLA from Harirampur and as such, his affect throughout Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency is but to be examined. Second, Mitra joined the BJP earlier than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, however switched sides and returned to the TMC earlier than the meeting polls of 2021. This has created an impression that he’s a turncoat in politics.
Key Points
Corruption: For the BJP, the TMC’s alleged corrupt practices in West Bengal are a serious ballot plank. The local-level corruption allegedly perpetrated by Trinamool is steadily changing into a serious subject in all elements of the state – Balurghat included. The BJP, led by PM Modi himself, goes out of its technique to spotlight the corruption prevalent inside the TMC and the way it’s impacting the lives of bizarre residents. With the Prime Minister himself countering the TMC allegations that the Centre has stopped PM Awas and MGNREGA funds for the state, and saying that the ruling social gathering in Bengal has swindled the cash meant for these schemes, corruption guarantees to be one of many defining elements this election season.
Rail Connectivity: The BJP accuses the TMC of ignoring the calls for of the individuals of Balurghat, who for lengthy have been asking for extra prepare companies from the constituency. It’s largely believed that BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar performed a vital position in securing the Sealdah-Balurghat direct prepare. The BJP is ready to learn from securing this prepare service for the individuals of Balurghat.
Hindutva: Being a constituency that borders Bangladesh, the BJP has made it some extent to accuse the TMC of selling unlawful infiltration. Moreover, it is usually elevating the difficulty of CAA, and promising citizenship to Hindus and different Indic minorities who fled Bangladesh and are actually settled in Balurghat. Lately, union residence minister Amit Shah himself attacked the TMC, saying Mamata Banerjee had been deceptive individuals on the difficulty and that individuals can apply for citizenship with out concern. The BJP can also be highlighting the abrogation of Article 370 sections in Jammu and Kashmir and the ban on triple talaq. As such, spiritual polarisation continues to stay a spotlight in West Bengal. The TMC, alternatively, is attempting to consolidate its maintain over the Muslim group by claiming that the CAA-NRC mix might be used for ulterior functions by the BJP.
Water Scarcity: The TMC has been elevating the difficulty of individuals in Balurghat, Gangarampur, and Kushmandi going through a extreme water disaster because of the embankment within the Atreyee River. It has additionally been blaming the BJP for the issue.
Demographics
- Complete Voters: 14,29,783
- Rural Voters: 1,276,796 (89.3%)
- City Voters: 152,987 (10.7%)
- SC Voters: 408,918 (28.6%)
- ST Voters: 218,757 (15.3%)
- Muslims: 422,057 (29.5%)
Growth
- In March, PM Modi devoted a number of developmental tasks within the rail and street sectors value greater than Rs 4500 crore in north Bengal. The tasks embody Eklakhi- Balurghat part, Barsoi-Radhikapur part, Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari part, Siliguri-Aluabari part through Bagdogra, and Siliguri-Sivok-Alipurduar Jn-Samuktala (together with Alipurduar Jn-New Cooch Behar) part.
- In 2022, funds value Rs 2.5 crore had been allotted for the upgradation of Balurghat railway station. In the meantime, in February this yr, PM Modi laid the inspiration for the redevelopment of 23 railway stations in six states within the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone at a value of Rs 685.32 crore, together with the Balurghat railway station.
- The Balurghat airport can also be anticipated to start operations this yr, bringing air connectivity to one of many extra inside areas of West Bengal the place mobility and lack of adequate services have been a raging subject among the many individuals.
- In January, after a lot delay, the Balurghat-Hili Rail extension mission was restarted by the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway. Railways had given round Rs 298 crore to the district administration to amass land for the extension of this line. Curiously, the mission was introduced when Mamata Banerjee was the nation’s rail minister, however work got here to a halt resulting from problems attributable to the land acquisition course of.
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