Kolkata: Ward 77 of Bhowanipore constituency — long considered Trinamool Congress’s electoral bulwark — emerged as the primary talking point during a recent closed-door strategy meeting.Senior functionaries and councillors, who attended the meeting on Thursday, acknowledged that the minority-dominated ward, which has consistently delivered decisive leads for the party, may no longer be the assured advantage it once was.For years, it has acted as a cushion for the TMC in Bhowanipore, offsetting weaker performances in several other wards. Even in the 2024, when the BJP secured an overall lead of around 8,200 votes in the constituency, TMC maintained a strong edge in this pocket, driven largely by consolidated minority support. That equation, however, appears to have shifted following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).Party insiders revealed that out of 47,111 names deleted across the constituency, 14,154 voters remain under “judicial adjudication”. Added together, the figure outnumbers the victory margin (58,835) secured by Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 bypoll. Party sources said 60% of the names deleted or adjudicated are from ward 77 alone, which had approximately 44,000 voters in 2021.The issue dominated talks at Thursday’s meeting, attended by eight councillors and key organisational figures, including Subrata Bakshi (in charge of five wards 63, 70, 71, 72 and 74) and Firhad Hakim (overseeing wards 73, 77 and 82). The urgency of the matter was underscored when Banerjee herself dialled into the meeting, engaging directly with Hakim and Bakshi to recalibrate strategy.According to sources, the CM approved the campaign slogan — ‘Unnoyon Ghore Ghore, Ghorer Meye Bhabanipur-e’ — while cautioning party workers against potential provocation. She urged unity and vigilance, signalling that the battle for Bhowanipore could be tighter than in previous cycles.Electoral arithmetic in the constituency adds to the complexity. Of the roughly 2.06 lakh voters prior to SIR, about 76% were Hindus — split between Bengali-speaking (42%) and non-Bengali-speaking (34%) populations — while minorities, predominantly Muslims, constituted around 24%. Historically, TMC’s dominance has hinged on near-total consolidation of minority votes coupled with strong backing from Bengali Hindus. In contrast, a significant segment of non-Bengali Hindu voters, particularly from the trading community, has leaned towards BJP.Trinamool also trailed in ward 73 during 2024 LS polls. Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are registered voters here. With ward 77 also showing signs of volatility, TMC is recalibrating its outreach. Party functionaries indicated a renewed focus on non-minority wards, targeting high-rise residents and non-Bengali voters via door-to-door campaigns. “Cultural outreach — from community festivals like Litti Chokha events to inauguration of a Jain Manstambh — has been started to broaden appeal,” said a party worker. TMC has formed a special team with lesser-known party sympathisers from varied professional fields to speak to locals on development works it has undertaken at Jadubabur Bazar, Bhowanipore, Chakraberia, Paddapukur, Bakulbagan and Alipore — areas where the party trailed in 2024.
