Established in 1951, Ausgram has taken part in all 17 Assembly elections in the state. In the first election, it was a twin-member seat with one reserved for the Scheduled Caste community. From 1962, it became a single-seat reserved constituency.
Ausgram was long a stronghold of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which held the seat for 12 consecutive terms from 1967 to 2011. The Congress won the first two elections, with an Independent claiming victory in 1962. The Trinamool Congress finally broke the LeftтАЩs grip in 2016, with Abhedananda Thander as its candidate, and retained the seat in 2021. Thander defeated Basudeb Mete of the CPI(M) by 6,252 votes in 2016, and in 2021 expanded his margin to 11,815, defeating the BJPтАЩs Kalita Maji. The LeftтАЩs once formidable vote share collapsed, dropping from 52.21 per cent in 2011 and 42.77 per cent in 2016 to just 9.40 per cent in 2021. In this period, the BJPтАЩs support rose sharply from 4.41 per cent in 2011 and 7.46 per cent in 2016 to 40.81 per cent in 2021, indicating a noteworthy shift in the constituencyтАЩs voting pattern.
In the Lok Sabha elections, a similar story has played out in the Ausgram segment. The Trinamool Congress has held a clear lead since 2014, with the BJP emerging as the principal challenger since 2019, when it trailed Trinamool by 14,868 votes (a gap of 7.30 per cent). By 2024, Trinamool strengthened its position, leading by 33,535 votes (15.60 per cent), while the CPI(M) vote share grew only marginally, logging 9.40 per cent in 2024 despite contesting in alliance with the Congress.
Ausgram had 252,804 registered voters in 2024, up from 246,956 in 2021 and 236,173 in 2019. The constituency has about 36.51 per cent Scheduled Caste and 12.67 per cent Scheduled Tribe voters, with Muslims accounting for 31.10 per cent. Ausgram is predominantly rural, with only 11.58 per cent of its voters in urban areas. It is known for robust electoral participation. The turnout has remained above 85 per cent in recent cycles, peaking at 88.70 per cent in 2011. The lowest was recorded in 2024, at 85.26 per cent. In the preceding elections, it stood at 88.04 per cent in 2021, 87.18 per cent in 2019, and 87.58 per cent in 2016.
The regionтАЩs topography is a mix of flat alluvial plains, typical of the Purba Bardhaman district, and patches of laterite soil spreading from the Rarh region. Ausgram lies between the Ajay and Damodar rivers, traversed by canals and dotted with tanks and wetlands. Flooding from the Ajay and breaches in embankments have historically affected the area, leading to major local agitations for canal repairs and flood relief. Agriculture is the chief economic activity, with paddy, potatoes, oilseeds, and vegetables being the main crops, supported by a substantial system of canal and groundwater irrigation. Forested highlands with pockets of paddy fields add to the landscape. The region lacks large industries but small-scale units, local markets, and transport routes, especially around Guskara, which anchors the economy. Infrastructure in Ausgram is moderate, with developing road connectivity and expanding access to electricity, schools, and healthcare, particularly in rural belts.
Guskara is the main town in the constituency and an important railway junction. It is located about 18 km from Ausgram. Ausgram is about 41 km from Bardhaman (district headquarters), 100 km from the state capital, Kolkata, and roughly 50 km from Suri in Birbhum district. Bolpur (Santiniketan) is 29 km away, Durgapur is about 65 km south-west, and Sonamukhi in Bankura district is nearly 40 km away. The region shares borders with the Birbhum and Bankura districts.
Despite the BJPтАЩs remarkable growth in recent years, the Trinamool Congress has turned Ausgram into its citadel over the last decade. Unless the Left FrontтАУCongress alliance reclaims some lost ground and eats into TrinamoolтАЩs vote bank, it will be a steep challenge for the BJP to unseat the Trinamool Congress in the 2026 Assembly election. For now, the odds remain stacked in favour of the Trinamool.
(Ajay Jha)
