TMC Fields The Controversial Abu Taher Khan From Beedi Hub Murshidabad (image-facebook/Abu Taher Khan)

Known as India’s beedi hub, Murshidabad district’s Lok Sabha constituency comprises Vidhan Sabhas including Bhagabangola, Raninagar, Hariharpara, Domkal, Jalangi, and Karimpur. All the assembly segments are the stronghold of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with the exception of Murshidabad.

TMC has fielded sitting MP Abu Taher Khan from the Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, much to the dismay of TMC member and Hariharpara MLA Niyamat Sheikh. The MLA stated that Khan was a newcomer to the party after defecting to TMC in 2019 from Congress. Sheikh also alleges that Khan won the ticket despite badmouthing the party, and on top of that, he had not undertaken any efforts during his tenure.

BJP leaders, including the national convener of the BJP”s IT cell, Amit Malviya, also disapprove of Khan’s candidature, but for different reasons. In 2022, a six-year-old was killed after a car owned by the sitting MP hit the child. The incident took place in Pipdekhali Bazaar in Murshidabad. Reportedly, the car was speeding at around 60 kilometres per hour. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital by Khan, where the six-year-old died during treatment. The driver was arrested, and Khan’s vehicle was seized by the police.

In terms of his political career, Khan contested the 2001 state legislative assembly elections from Naoda Vidhan Sabha on a Congress ticket. Securing victory, Khan maintained his winning streak in the next three elections, keeping the Naoda seat with him for 18 years.

In 2019, he gave up the seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Murshidabad constituency on a TMC ticket. Khan secured victory with over 6 lakh votes, beating Congress candidate and runner-up Abu Hena, who secured 3.7 lakh votes. The constituency has around 68.5 percent Muslim voters, 10.2 percent SC voters, and 1.3 percent ST voters, as per the 2011 census.