Ashok Kandari To Face Pratima Mondal Again In Joynagar Constituency

BJP has fielded Ashok Kandari from the Joynagar constituency to run for the 18th Lok Sabha elections. The Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polling boths on June 1, 2024, in phase 7. TMC fielded Pratima Mondal again to fight against Kandari and Samarendra Nath Mandal of RSP.

The 48-year-old BJP candidate Ashok Kandari is a doctor by profession and has a net worth of Rs 20 crore with zero cases against him. Recently, during his campaign, Kandari, met Abdur Rezzak Mollah, the TMC”s former minister of state, and checked his health as he was suffering from some ailment. However, Abdur Rezzak said that TMC will win from the Joynagar due to the population dynamics in the constituency.

Ashok Kandari of the BJP is depending on two things: the anti-incumbency movement and the rift within the opposition”s base of support, and the consolidation of Hindu voters.Based on past election results, Jaynagar is seen as a safe haven for the TMC, which is now in power. Even with the robust BJP wave in West Bengal in 2019, Pratim Mandal of the TMC prevailed by a margin of about 2.2 lakh votes.

The constituency has been a stronghold of the Revolutionary Socialist Party for several years. In 2014, TMC candidate Pratima Mondal secured victory with 4.9 lakh votes as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s popularity created waves. The TMC candidate won the seat again with over 7.6 lakh votes, surpassing the BJP’s Ashok Kandari, who won 4.4 lakh votes.

The Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency comprises Vidhan Sabhas regions including Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali, Canning Paschim, Canning Purba, and Magrahat Purba. The constituency is a SC Lok Sabha seat. All legislative segments, apart from Canning Purba, are also reserved for scheduled castes. Jaynagar constitutency has a significant muslim population and according to the 2011 census, around 35.57 percent are Muslim voters, 30.2 percent are SC voters, and 1.2 percent are ST voters.