Kolkata: South 24 Parganas continues to occupy a position of immense significance in West Bengal’s political landscape, once again emerging as a key battleground in the ongoing assembly elections. With 31 assembly constituencies and a diverse socio-economic character that spans from the urban outskirts of Kolkata to the rural and coastal stretches of the Sundarbans, the district remains central to any party’s roadmap to power in the state.
The district has traditionally been a bastion of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which won an overwhelming 30 out of 31 seats here in the 2021 assembly elections. The only exception was Bhangar, which went to the Indian Secular Front (ISF). For the ruling party, maintaining its dominance in South 24 Parganas—alongside neighbouring North 24 Parganas—is considered crucial to sustaining its hold over West Bengal.
One of the most decisive factors influencing electoral outcomes in the district is its demographic composition. With nearly 36% minority voters, largely concentrated in rural constituencies such as Bhangar, Magrahat West, and Diamond Harbour, voting trends in these areas have historically tilted in favour of the TMC.
Expressing concerns over the recent revision of voter rolls, a local TMC leader alleged, “The deletions are similar to the trend witnessed across Bengal. The minority votes, the core Trinamool voters along with the women, have been the worst-hit. Most deletions are across Bhangar, Magrahat West and Diamond Harbour, all Muslim-majority constituencies.”
Even though the district remains a TMC stronghold, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been making sustained efforts to expand its presence in the region. While the party succeeded in making notable inroads in North 24 Parganas during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it struggled to achieve similar gains in the southern district.
Acknowledging organisational weaknesses, a senior BJP leader said, “We are organisationally very weak against the TMC in South 24 Parganas. The TMC used its machinery in these areas and randomly did rigging and false polling. But this time, they will not be able to do that. If the Election Commission does its duties properly, the people will provide a surprising result in this division. We will open our account not only in South 24 Parganas and Howrah, but also win almost half of these seats.
Reinforcing this optimism, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rahul Sinha told The Sunday Guardian, “This time, the election is entirely different. You will be surprised to see the result. What you now see as a TMC stronghold, after the election, you will see how these areas fall. People will vote for change. The results will prove all calculations wrong.”
At the grassroots level, however, voices emerging from minority-dominated localities suggest continued support for the ruling party. Abul Khan from Magrahat said, “This part of Kolkata is still in favor of TMC, in favor of Bobby Da and Didi, and we will vote for them only.”
Similar opinions were heard in market areas where trader Salim remarked, “TMC has worked for us. They have provided all sorts of benefits whether it’s education, health or others, so we will be with Didi only.”
Mohammad Arif, another trader, observed, “People in our locality feel connected to the TMC leadership. Development work and local outreach have strengthened their trust in the party.”
Shahid Parvez added, “The community believes the current government understands their needs better, and continuity in leadership is important for ongoing welfare initiatives.”
A shopkeeper, Naseem Akhtar, said, “Many families in the area have benefited from state-run schemes, and this has influenced their decision to support the TMC once again.”
The TMC, for its part, remains confident not only of retaining its stronghold but also of potentially increasing its tally. A local party leader claimed, “Because of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), we will not only defend our bastion but also increase our tally because in these areas Matuas had voted for the BJP in past elections, but due to the SIR, they are mostly suffering.” Political observers underline that the consolidation of minority votes continues to be a decisive factor in the region.
A political analyst told The Sunday Guardian, “Although in other parts of Bengal there is an edge of BJP, in both 24 Parganas districts, especially South 24 Parganas, BJP is lagging behind. Most seats here have more than 30% Muslim voters, which tends to vote one-sidedly for TMC. Even historically, these seats have supported TMC. In the last election, TMC won 30 out of 31 seats, with one going to ISF.” The analyst further added, “Earlier it was expected that the minority vote would split, but with time it is evident that they are still uniting with TMC.”
