BEHRAMPORE: For the past five years, Behrampore, a historic town, has largely witnessed a bipolar fight between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, with the latter registering a dramatic 35% surge in vote share in the 2021 assembly poll and winning the seat for the first time. However, the entry of veteran Congress neta Adhir Chowdhury, who returned to Bengal politics after nearly three decades, has altered the equation, turning it into a triangular contest.Once a Congress bastion for nearly 70 years, Behrampore has undergone a steady political churn.
Saffron shift in Congress Bastion in 2021
Popularly known as Kanchan, BJP’s Subrata Maitra delivered a breakthrough win for the party in 2021. Naru Gopal Mukherjee of TMC had managed to secure about27,000 votes, pushing Congress to a distant third. His victory, coupled with a vote share surge crossing 45%, marked the saffron party’s maiden capture of the seat since Independence. Seeking to be elected for another term, Maitra’s poll plank is based on welfare and a hardline narrative. Avoiding large rallies, Maitra has chosen hyperlocal campaign. “I cover about 500 households daily. People can see the development Behrampore town has undergone in five years. But infiltration from Bangladesh and TMC’s corruption is preventing overall growth and is affecting jobs. I am confident of victory and an overall change in the state,” said Maitra.Yet, the BJP’s rise has not gone uncontested. Chowdhury’s entry has injected volatility into what might otherwise have been a bipolar fight between the BJP and TMC. A five-time MP, Chowdhury lost Behrampore Lok Sabha seat in 2024 to former cricketer, Trinamool’s Yusuf Pathan, by over 85,000 votes. Chowdhury is attempting a political reset now.“People in Behrampore know me very well. They love and trust me. BJP and TMC are playing dirty politics of communal partisanship and threats and fake promises of increasing Lakshmir Bhandar amount. But I believe people in Behrampore will choose the right candidate,” said Chowdhury, who replaces three-time Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty this time. In 2021, Chakraborty had suffered a 48% slide in vote share. After his parliamentary defeat, which saw Chowdhury’s vote share dip sharply, he described his political future as “uncertain”. But his return to the Vidhansabha arena signals an attempt to reclaim lost ground on his home turf.“I am sure I will emerge victorious,” he said.The Congress neta’s return, however, is being dismissed outright by his rivals. Naru Gopal Mukherjee, the Behrampore municipality chairperson and TMC nominee, said, “Adhir Chowdhury is no longer a factor. If he were, he would have won in 2024. He is contesting for his own survival, not for the party. The fight is between TMC and BJP, and people will vote for us,” he said.TMC’s numbers improved in 2021, with a 12.4% rise in vote share, though it fell short against the BJP’s 35% surge.Political observers believe Chowdhury’s personal connect with voters, especially those above 40, remains intact. “He can cut into both BJP and TMC vote shares,” said Anupam Bhattacharya, a voter .The Congress, however, faces structural challenges.
