Harirampur Assembly Election 2024

Since its inception, Harirampur has participated in three Assembly elections, each reflecting the constituency’s shifting voter moods. The Trinamool Congress has claimed the seat twice, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won once. In the constituency’s first poll in 2011, Biplab Mitra of Trinamool Congress defeated the CPI(M)’s Narayan Biswas by 7,067 votes. In 2016, CPI(M) fielded Rafikul Islam, whose appeal among the large Muslim electorate helped him topple Mitra by 4,504 votes. The BJP, which had finished a distant third in 2011 and 2016 with 5.13 and 11.90 per cent of the vote, surged to second spot as Biplab Mitra retook the seat from Rafikul Islam in 2021. After two tightly contested elections, Trinamool’s victory margin grew to 22,672 votes as CPI(M) collapsed to just 6.64 per cent in vote share, even with Congress as its ally, compared to 51.24 per cent for Trinamool and 39.15 per cent for the BJP.

In parliamentary elections, Trinamool Congress has consistently led Harirampur in all four Lok Sabha cycles since the constituency’s creation. The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), representing the Left Front, was the main challenger in 2009 and 2014, but the BJP displaced the Left Front from contention starting in 2019, giving Trinamool tough competition. In 2019, the BJP led in 50 per cent of Harirampur’s 222 polling booths, with Trinamool close behind, and Trinamool edged out the BJP by 4,965 votes. Trinamool doubled its lead to 10,254 votes in the 2024 parliamentary polls, while RSP further faded with only 5.50 per cent of the vote in 2019 and 4.19 per cent in 2024.

Harirampur had 236,965 registered voters in 2024, up from 228,189 in 2021 and 215,606 in 2019. Muslims form the largest electoral bloc at 38.30 per cent, while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 24.27 per cent and 19.30 per cent respectively. Harirampur is overwhelmingly rural, with just 1.75 per cent of voters in urban areas. Voter turnout has remained healthy, usually seeing greater enthusiasm in the Assembly polls: it stood at 84.43 per cent in 2011, 84.93 per cent in 2016, 82.35 per cent in the 2021 Assembly elections, and dipped to 81.67 per cent in 2019, then 77.80 per cent in 2024 parliamentary polls.

Harirampur is set in the fertile, gently alluvial plains of the north Bengal region, marked by a flat terrain typical of the Dakshin Dinajpur district. The area is influenced by rivers such as the Tangon and Punarbhaba, which support seasonal agriculture but pose risks of monsoon flooding. The landscape supports rice, jute, and mustard farming, along with vegetables and pulses. Local ponds and canals facilitate pisciculture. Economic activity is built around agriculture, rural markets, brick kilns, and small businesses. The region has basic infrastructure: primary health centres, schools, local markets, and small-scale roadways connecting villages to Buniadpur and other local hubs. Buniadpur, as a municipality, acts as a focal point for essential services and trade in the constituency. Rail connectivity is available at Buniadpur station, linking the area to Balurghat and northwards towards Malda.

Nearby towns include Gangarampur, the subdivision headquarters, about 19 km north of Harirampur, and Balurghat, the district headquarters, roughly 37 km away. Kolkata, the state capital, is approximately 420 km south of Harirampur. Towns in adjoining West Bengal districts like Malda, Raiganj, and Farakka are accessible.

Though Trinamool Congress has held healthy leads in Harirampur’s last two elections, the party cannot afford complacency, as the BJP remains close behind. BJP would hope for the revival of the Left Front-Congress alliance, looking to erode Trinamool’s core Muslim vote and open a clear path to victory. Otherwise, Trinamool Congress sets off for the 2026 Assembly elections with its nose just ahead of the BJP, knowing well that every vote will count.

(Ajay Jha)