Raidighi has gone to the Assembly elections three times so far. The Trinamool Congress has won all three. In 2011, Debashree Roy of the Trinamool Congress, an actor and dancer by profession, defeated CPI(M)’s Kanti Ganguly, a former minister in the Left Front government, by 5,553 votes. She retained the seat in 2016, defeating Ganguly again, but with a reduced margin of 1,229 votes. Her low margins of victory prompted the Trinamool Congress to deny her a ticket in 2021, which paid off for the party as its nominee Aloke Jaldate beat the BJP’s Santanu Bapuli by 35,568 votes.
The 2021 result confirmed the BJP’s rise and the Left’s decline in Raidighi. CPI(M), with Ganguly as its candidate again, slipped to a distant third. Its vote share fell to 15.48 per cent, after polling 45.92 per cent in 2016 and 46.80 per cent in 2011. The BJP’s vote share moved in the opposite direction, from 1.80 per cent in 2011 and 3.54 per cent in 2016 to 33.58 per cent in 2021.
Lok Sabha elections mirror the same broad trend. The Trinamool has led in the Raidighi Assembly segment in all four Lok Sabha polls held here so far. It led the CPI(M) by 19,038 votes in 2009 and 3,741 votes in 2014. The BJP replaced the CPI(M) as the main challenger thereafter. The Trinamool led the BJP by 12,919 votes in 2019 and 20,937 votes in 2024.
Raidighi had 272,816 voters in the draft roll for the 2026 elections after an SIR exercise in December 2025. This marked a sharp decline of 14,850 voters from 2024, when it had 287,666 voters. Earlier, the electorate stood at 273,558 in 2021, 261,364 in 2019, 243,711 in 2016 and 207,140 in 2011. Muslims account for 23.60 per cent of the voters, Scheduled Castes 28.12 per cent and Scheduled Tribes 1.49 per cent. About 94.70 per cent of the voters live in rural areas and only 5.30 per cent in urban pockets. Turnout has remained very high, with 90.46 per cent in 2011, 89.30 per cent in 2016, 84.43 per cent in 2019, 87.62 per cent in 2021 and 81.90 per cent in 2024.
Raidighi, earlier known as Rainagar, traces its origins back to the late 15th century. Rainagar was established around 1489 by Shubuddhi Ray, a ruler from Gour, and his son Durgadas Ray later dug a huge 33-acre water body which gave the place its present name. The old tank, known as Raidighir Dighi, remains a landmark and symbol of the settlement’s long-standing riverine culture.
The constituency lies in the southern part of South 24 Parganas, close to the northern fringe of the Sundarbans. The terrain is flat and low-lying, with tidal rivers, creeks and embankments influencing much of the landscape. Soils are fertile but prone to flooding and salinity, which makes agriculture both productive and vulnerable.
The local economy rests on agriculture, fishing and allied activities. Many households depend on paddy cultivation, small-scale vegetable farming and fishing in canals and tidal channels. There is growing reliance on rural services, petty trade and Sundarbans-linked transport and tourism. Seasonal migration to Kolkata and other urban centres for work also forms part of the livelihood pattern.
Raidighi is connected to other parts of South 24 Parganas mainly by road. Diamond Harbour, the subdivision headquarters, is roughly 40 to 45 km away by road. The district headquarters is at Baruipur, approximately 48 km from Raidighi. The usual road connection from Kolkata is via Baruipur and Bishnupur, with the total distance to the Raidighi area placed at around 100 to 110 km. Buses connect Raidighi with Diamond Harbour, Bishnupur and other nodal points in the district.
Rail connectivity is indirect. Raidighi does not have a railway station. The nearest railhead is Mathurapur Road station on the Sealdah-Lakshmikantapur-Kakdwip-Namkhana line. Mathurapur Road is about 20 km from Raidighi, and passengers complete the remaining stretch by bus, auto or shared vehicles.
Nearby towns and growth centres include Diamond Harbour to the north-west and Kakdwip and Namkhana further south along the coastal belt. Baruipur and Canning, which lie to the north and north-east, also figure in the wider catchment for higher education, healthcare and administration for Raidighi residents. Kolkata remains the principal metropolitan hub for long-distance travel, specialised health services and employment.
The Trinamool Congress enters the 2026 Assembly elections in Raidighi with a clear edge. It has won all three Assembly elections since the constituency was created and has led in all four Lok Sabha contests in the segment. The BJP has, however, grown sharply to replace the CPI(M) as the main challenger and now commands a substantial vote share. The sharp decline in voter numbers after the SIR exercise, the consistently high turnout and the changing fortunes of the BJP and the Left-Congress alliance suggest that every vote will count, but at present the contest still looks tilted in favour of the Trinamool rather than heading towards a full-blooded cliffhanger.
(Ajay Jha)
