Murshidabad Constituency: Densely Populated Region And Its Electoral Dynamics

Murshidabad constituency is one of India’s nine most densely populated regions in West Bengal. In Murshidabad, 11 candidates are vying for the parliamentary seat. Historically, Murshidabad was a stronghold of the CPI (M) and Congress. However, recent elections have introduced a new dynamic, shifting the narrative to include the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aside from the Left and Congress. This has led to a triangular battle for the constituency. Prominent candidates in the Murshidabad constituency include Abu Taher Khan of the TMC, Gouri Sankar Ghosh of the BJP, and Md Salim of the CPI (M).

Murshidabad, situated on the banks of the Hooghly River, earned its historical significance as the capital of Bengal during the Mughal era. In 1704, Aurangzeb’s Diwan Murshid Kali Khan relocated Bengal’s capital from Dacca (now Dhaka) and named the city Murshidabad in his honour. The Murshidabad Lok Sabha seat was established in 1952 and currently comprises several segments since 2009, including Bhagabangola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Hariharpara, Domkal, Jalangi, and Karimpur. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC secured victory in six seats, while the BJP won one seat.

According to NDTV, the constituency boasts a total of 1,722,752 registered voters, including 882,248 male voters, 840,476 female voters, and 28 third gender voters. Murshidabad, once the seat of the Nawabs of Bangla-Bihar-Odisha, boasts a diverse demographic makeup. With Muslims constituting over 60% of the electorate, alongside Scheduled Castes (SC) at 15% and Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 1%, the constituency represents a significant minority. Today, it serves as a thriving centre for agriculture, handicrafts, and sericulture. Notably, a substantial portion of the male population, particularly in areas like Raninagar, Jalangi, and Pomkal, are migrant laborers, predominantly working in South India.

In Murshidabad, Congress is extending support to CPI(M) candidate Md Salim, the state secretary of CPI(M) West Bengal, as part of the INDIA bloc. Despite CPI(M)’s blank performance in the last Lok Sabha elections, Salim remains confident of victory, citing anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling TMC MP, citing unemployment and a lack of development. During the campaign in Domkal under Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticised TMC for weakening the opposition INDIA bloc in West Bengal. The performance of CPI(M) in the panchayat polls last year suggests the party remains a significant political force in Bengal.

BJP candidate Gouri Sankar Ghosh, a businessperson and politician, won a seat in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Murshidabad constituency in May 2021. The BJP asserts that under Ghosh’s leadership, significant development initiatives have been undertaken in Murshidabad.

TMC candidate Abu Taher Khan, a politician, agriculturalist, and social worker from Murshidabad, currently serves as the Member of Parliament for the Murshidabad constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he secured 41.57% of the votes, with a significant margin of 604,346 votes, defeating Abu Hena of Congress. TMC lauded Khan’s 25 years of dedicated service, emphasising his role in uplifting countless lives and promoting comprehensive development. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has firmly opposed the implementation of CAA, NRC, or the Uniform Civil Code in the state, accentuating TMC’s election prospects across the state.

Security measures intensified in the constituency post-polling, prompted by reports of two violent incidents involving weapons and explosives. The election result is expected to be announced on June 4.

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)