From the sleek IT corridors of New Town, modern flyovers on the VIP road, to the rain-lashed alleys of Sector 5, varying issues may impact the high-stakes elections in the two Assembly constituencies of Rajarhat–Gopalpur and Rajarhat–New Town. As the phase-2 polling date nears, the region is seemingly caught between “loyalty” for Didi and a growing demand for ‘poribortan’ (change), fueled by alleged civic apathy and corruption in the TMC stronghold.
The Rajarhat–Gopalpur area is laced with contrasts — serving as the lifeline, the VIP Road connects posh high-rises and modern subways to the dense markets of Kestopur as well as the marginalised settlements in the Refugee Rehabilitation (RR) site.
The electorate is equally diverse, with a mix of Bengali and Hindi-speaking populations, a significant Muslim presence, and several families which migrated decades ago from Bangladesh.
The paradox is not unknown to the voters. Speaking to The Indian Express, a local resident lamented: “We have modern flyovers, skating rinks and subways here, but then there is also a persistent waterlogging at the Haldiram crossing on VIP Road.”
Rounak Aggarwal, another voter, echoed similar concerns: “Water logging and drainage issues near Haldiram (in Sector 5) are the biggest problems. During monsoon, it is extremely difficult to step out, despite this being a VIP road. The metro projects are also stalled. People are now in the mood for some ‘poribortan’ (change) on the ground.”
Traffic, too, continues to be an issue here. Tapan Banerjee, a resident of VIP Road said: “CM Mamata Banerjee has done good work here, including cleanliness and small development works. But if they could also resolve the traffic issue on the service road from Joramandir to Teghoria, it would have been great for us. There are hundreds of wedding banquets here, but none have parking and they all block the service road during the wedding season.”
In Rajarhat–Gopalpur, the TMC has fielded its outgoing MLA and celebrated singer Aditi Munshi, while the BJP has bet on Advocate Tarun Jyoti Tiwari.
Munshi’s voters see as a “sweet girl” representing the women in the constituency. Speaking to The Indian Express while canvassing through a massive crowd during her Sunday rally, Munshi said: “I don’t believe in the term ‘fight’. I trust in development work and Didi’s work. I have full faith that people will choose me (again).”
Meanwhile, riding a wave of ‘poribortan’, BJP’s Tiwari seems optimistic about taking over the TMC stronghold. He said: “There is illegal construction and extortion in this area. There is also a grudge over the 2022 MC elections when some people couldn’t vote. The job recruitment scam and the RG Kar incident are out in the open. People are angry.” He claimed that the BJP will win the seat with a margin of over 15,000 votes.
Rajesh Deora, a resident of Joramandir area said: “The battle lines are drawn between an established face and an aggressive challenger, so it is tough to predict who will win.”
Since 1977, the CPI(M) has won this seat six times, while the TMC has maintained a winning streak since the last three Assembly elections.
The deleted voters, as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, remains a defining factor in this election.
In Rajarhat–Gopalpur, a staggering 42,955 names were struck off the rolls — a 16.7 per cent reduction in the electorate.
The TMC’s lead here in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls was a razor-thin 72 votes, and the voter roll deletions could impact the results this time.
The voters, too, are banking on the SIR effect. Sanjay Ahuja, a resident of Baguihati, said: “This seat saw a tough fight in 2024, the TMC’s lead was just 72 votes. Now, with so many votes deleted after the SIR, the BJP has a good chance.”
However, another voter, Krishna Laha argued: “Aditi’s husband Debraj is a politician, she is also popular. The winning margin could be less, but Aditi will definitely win the seat.”
The SIR issue also resonates in the Rajarhat–New Town. Three times the size of its neighbour Salt Lake City, the only planned satellite township of Kolkata is built on vast stretches of erstwhile agricultural land and water bodies.
Designated as a Solar City and Smart Green City, this modern urban hub is connected to Kolkata City via metro, and is home to IT parks, super-speciality hospitals, educational institutions, museums, shopping malls and star-rated hotels. The area has attracted a steady stream of migrants, drawn by its infrastructure and employment opportunities.
Ashok Mondal, a mechanic in the Jatragachi area here, is angry with the Election Commission over deletion of his 20-year-old son Akash’s name from the electoral rolls.
She said: “I went to the BDO office four times…but my son will not be able to vote. Naturally, I am angry. I am not happy with the way things are moving; I might still stick to the TMC because our MLA Tapas Chatterjee is always there for us, even helping people financially for weddings.”
Ever since its inception, Rajarhat–New Town has remained a TMC stronghold, with the party winning the seat in all three assembly elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
The TMC’s winning margin significantly increased in 2021 after it fielded the former CPI(M) leader and incumbent MLA Tapash Chatterjee here, following TMC leader and two-term MLA Sabyasachi Dutta’s defection to the BJP. While Dutta returned to the TMC in 2020, he was not offered a seat.
This time, while the TMC seeks to maintain its winning streak with Chatterjee, the BJP has brought a new face into the fray: businessman-turned-politician Piyush Kanoria.
The female votebank, meanwhile, is no longer a monolith in Rajarhat. In Kestopur Mission Bazar, in the Rajarhat–Gopalpur constituency, Chaya Koral, 69, remains loyal to Didi: “I get benefits under Lakhi Bhandar scheme. Didi always talks about women’s rights. ‘Didi ache, Didi-i thakbe’ (Didi is here, Didi will stay).”
Meanwhile, for Sukumari Bawali, whose resides in the RR Site in Rajarhat–New Town constituency, the shock of the RG Kar Hospital rape case has still left a deep scar on her.
She said: “I was badly affected by what happened at RG Kar, and how the family had to fight. No government should take the voters for granted. We need to remind them that we are the ones who select them.”