‘Different’ Nawsad finds fight easy as he seeks re-election in troubled Bhangar
Telegraph | 29 April 2026
In the narrow, impoverished lanes of Bhangar on Calcutta’s fringes, Nawsad Siddique, the sitting MLA and chairman of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), in a white kurta and a taqiyah (cap) on the head, was moving from door to door on a sultry afternoon, seeking blessings and votes.
He wants to recast the image of a constituency long defined by bombs, turf wars and political violence as one centred on peace and livelihood.
“I have been trying to bring quality to people’s lives here. The foremost thing is peace and livelihood. Peace is still elusive because goons operate under the patronage of the ruling party. But I always tell people not to foment tension, and I try to set an example through my behaviour. In the past few years, I have not uttered a single word that could incite hatred or tension, because it is the poor who ultimately suffer,” Nawsad said.
His 2021 victory over Trinamool Congress candidate Rezaul Karim by 26,151 votes in Bhangar had jolted the ruling party. Yet, despite the upset, Siddique has struggled to convert that mandate into visible improvements in law and order, citing administrative non-cooperation. As a result, Bhangar has remained a flashpoint, witnessing repeated clashes between ISF and Trinamool supporters, with police often accused of being ineffective.
Now seeking re-election with Left support, Nawsad is positioning himself differently against Trinamool’s strongman candidate Saokat Molla, who has been brought in from outside the constituency.
“I am a different person now than in 2021. The fight this time is easier. Earlier, there was a binary between the BJP and Trinamool. I was a fresh face, and people around me were not politically experienced. Now the approach has changed,” he said.
Brushing aside talks of differences with the CPM, he added: “There is no major problem. If people are allowed to vote freely and fearlessly, we are confident of forming the government. Bengal has not witnessed a real mandate in the past 15 years.”
The state’s attempt to tighten policing in Bhangar has yielded measurable results. In 2024, the 122sqkm area was brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police with a new division, six police stations and a dedicated traffic guard. Official data point to a 27 per cent drop in overall crimes and a 37 per cent decline in accidents, alongside the creation of a detective wing to track habitual offenders.
Nevertheless, the police insiders concede that Bhangar’s volatility stems less from conventional crimes and more from entrenched political rivalries.
Nawsad, who enjoys a strong grassroots connection, blames the ruling establishment for the unrest.
“People know who has been creating trouble here and making life miserable. See who Mamata Banerjee has fielded against me. In an open meeting, she said my rival Saokat Molla makes bombs. His men are active here, and people know the reality,” he said. “I do not indulge in criminal activities. I urge people to take books instead of bombs.”
Observers, however, trace the violence to a long-running turf war between ISF and networks once controlled by Arabul Islam, a dominant local figure. In a politically significant move, Arabul has now joined the ISF and has been fielded from Canning East, despite objections from the CPM.
Nawsad defended the decision, saying: “Arabul Islam has a wrong past. But we have told him to return to the mainstream as a good human being. He has assured us and is trying to rectify himself. Why should he not be given a chance?”
Asked if the ISF would be able to keep Arabul in its fold in case he won and Trinamool returned to power, Nawsad reiterated that Arabul was a changed person altogether.
Trinamool leaders accuse Nawsad of mirroring BJP-style polarisation using religion.
Determined to regain lost ground, Trinamool has fielded Saokat, currently MLA from Canning East and its observer in Bhangar. “There will be an end to this. This election will bring change, driven by development,” Saokat said.
Electoral data underscore the shifting ground. Trinamool’s vote share fell from around 50 per cent in 2016 to 34 per cent in 2021, while the ISF surged to 45 per cent to clinch the seat. The BJP remained a distant third with 16 per cent of the votes.
Projecting himself as an outlier in a conflict-ridden political landscape, Nawsad said: “I joined politics to give to people, not to make wealth. Unlike many leaders, my assets have reduced in the past five years, but cases against me have increased.”
Claiming a political vendetta, he alleged that 17 cases had been slapped on him by the state.