Ramnagar Assembly Election 2024

Originally established in 1951, Ramnagar has participated in 17 Assembly elections, divided into three phases due to recurring changes in its boundaries. The Election Commission redrew its contours in 2006, following the Delimitation Commission’s recommendations, and the current configuration has been effective since the 2009 Lok Sabha and 2011 Assembly elections.

In the first phase, Congress dominated with four wins from the seven elections held between 1951 and 1972. The Congress (Organisation), Praja Socialist Party, and one Independent also had a victory each. The political situation changed in the second phase, from 1977 to 2006, with the CPI(M) winning four times, and Congress, Janata Party, and Trinamool Congress each securing the seat once. 

Akhil Giri of Trinamool Congress has featured in every Ramnagar election contested by his party since 2001. He first won the seat by defeating CPI(M)’s Samares Das by 6,551 votes. In 2006, Swadesh Ranjan Nayak of CPI(M) beat Giri by 8,827 votes. However, Giri has remained undefeated since the start of the third phase in 2011. He defeated Nayak by 16,559 votes in 2011 and Tapas Sinha of CPI(M) in 2016 by 28,253 votes. The 2021 election marked a major shift as CPI(M) fell to a distant third, polling only 3.04 per cent, while Giri retained the seat, defeating his old rival Nayak, who had switched from CPI(M) to the BJP, by 12,517 votes. Nayak’s move to the BJP likely reflected the party’s rapid rise in Ramnagar, which began with the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, when the BJP’s vote share jumped to 44.60 per cent from only 9.12 per cent in the 2014 election. This trend continued in 2021, with the BJP’s votes up by 39.05 per cent, and CPI(M)’s tally down by 35.97 per cent from 2016. In the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP leapfrogged Trinamool Congress and secured a lead of 9,168 votes, pushing Trinamool to second place.

Ramnagar had 274,237 registered voters in 2024, up from 264,900 in 2021 and 254,788 in 2019. Scheduled Castes comprise the largest group at 13.55 per cent, while Muslims account for 9.90 per cent. The constituency is predominantly rural, with 98.36 per cent rural voters and just 1.64 per cent urban. Voter turnout has remained robust, consistently above 80 per cent: 87.61 per cent in 2011, 84.12 per cent in 2016, 81.71 per cent in 2019, 83.89 per cent in 2021, and 80.49 per cent in 2024.

The origins of Ramnagar are rooted in its agricultural and market history, serving as a central hub within Purba Medinipur. The region lies on the coastal and riverine plains of southern Bengal, not far from the Bay of Bengal. The terrain is flat, fertile, and bisected by rivers like the Subarnarekha, which supports agriculture and pisciculture. The seat is known for paddy, betel leaf, pulses, fish farming, and seasonal vegetables. Rural roads, small businesses, schools, local health centres, and weekly markets form the backbone of Ramnagar’s infrastructure. The town enjoys rail connectivity with its own railway station on the Kharagpur-Puri main line, which provides direct links to Contai, Digha, Tamluk, Kharagpur, and other important regional centres.

Major roads link Ramnagar to Contai, the subdivision headquarters, about 22 km away, and Tamluk, the district headquarters of Purba Medinipur, which is 56 km away. Digha, a seaside resort town in Purba Medinipur, lies 16 km from Ramnagar. Kanthi and Egra, both in Purba Medinipur district, are 30 km and 42 km away, respectively. Jaleswar, a town in Balasore district of Odisha, is situated approximately 38 km from Ramnagar. Haldia port is about 73 km distant, and Kolkata, the state capital, is around 183 km away.

In the 2026 Assembly elections, Ramnagar is set for a fierce, close contest. The BJP’s momentum brought it close to the Trinamool Congress before overtaking it in 2024. The Left Front-Congress alliance, now reduced to the margins, is unlikely to influence the outcome. It will be a direct contest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, and victory will depend on how effectively each party reaches every voter and secures every vote.

(Ajay Jha)