Baruipur Purba Assembly Election 2024

The undivided Baruipur constituency witnessed 15 Assembly elections, including the 1998 by-election, and gave mixed verdicts. It was a twin-seat constituency in 1952 and 1957. The Congress and CPI shared honours in 1952, while the CPI won both seats in 1957. Since 1962, when it became a single-seat constituency, the CPI(M) won six times, including the 1998 by-election, the Congress four times, the Samyukta Socialist Party twice and the Trinamool Congress once.

Since its creation, Baruipur Purba has remained a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress. The party has won all three elections consecutively. Nirmal Mondal won the first two elections, defeating CPI(M) rivals Bimal Mistry by 18,479 votes in 2011 and Sujoy Mistry by 20,362 votes in 2016. Mondal’s death in 2021 due to COVID-19 led the Trinamool to nominate Bivas Sardar as its candidate for the 2021 elections. Sardar retained the seat, defeating BJP’s Chandan Mondal by 49,641 votes.

The Trinamool’s dominance is also reflected in the Lok Sabha voting trends in the Baruipur Purba segment. The party led the CPI(M) by 16,817 votes in 2009 and 4,590 votes in 2014. The BJP overtook the CPI(M) in 2019 to become the main challenger, but the Trinamool still led by 27,505 votes. The lead rose to 48,776 votes in 2024.

According to the draft roll for the 2026 Assembly elections, Baruipur Purba had 272,604 voters, down from 285,456 in 2024. Earlier figures stood at 265,091 in 2021, 245,507 in 2019, 222,583 in 2016 and 189,023 in 2011. Scheduled Castes form the largest bloc with 45.66 per cent of voters. Muslims account for 32.10 per cent. The constituency is overwhelmingly rural, with 90.66 per cent of voters in villages and 9.34 per cent in urban pockets. Turnout has remained high, with 84.80 per cent in 2011, 86.30 per cent in 2016, 83.47 per cent in 2019, 84.93 per cent in 2021 and 78.59 per cent in 2024.

Baruipur has a rich historical legacy. It was once a key stop on the old Calcutta-East Bengal railway line. During the colonial era, it was known for indigo plantations and later became a centre of local trade and agriculture.

The constituency lies on flat alluvial terrain in South 24 Parganas. The economy is based on agriculture, small trade and services, with many residents commuting to Kolkata. Road and rail connectivity is strong. Baruipur Junction is on the Sealdah-Canning line with suburban trains to Sealdah and other parts of Kolkata. The Baruipur-Canning Road and State Highway 1 connect the town to Kolkata and other parts of the district.

Nearby towns and cities include Kolkata, the state capital, about 25 km north. The district headquarters Barasat is 35 km northeast. Diamond Harbour lies 40 km southwest. Canning is 30 km southeast. Sonarpur is 10 km north. Other nearby towns include Joynagar, 15 km south, and Bishnupur, 20 km west.

The marginal decline in voters, if the draft rolls remain unchanged, may affect margins but not the outcome. The Trinamool Congress has remained virtually unchallenged here. The BJP has emerged as the main challenger, while the Left Front-Congress alliance has steadily declined. The gap between the Trinamool and the BJP was over 21 per cent in the last two elections. Barring the unexpected, Baruipur Purba remains a seat for the Trinamool Congress to lose in 2026.

(Ajay Jha)