Raipur was established in 1951 and has participated in all 17 Assembly elections held in the state. The inaugural election in 1952 was won by Independent candidate Jadu Nath Murmu, who retained the seat in 1957 as a Congress nominee. The Congress party won the seat twice consecutively, followed by the Bangla Congress which secured victories in 1962 and 1967. The Jharkhand Party made its mark in 1971, winning the seat once. The Left Front’s dominance began in 1972 with the CPI’s victory, and from 1977 onwards, the CPI(M) took over, winning eight consecutive terms. Upen Kisku of the CPI(M) became a towering figure in Raipur’s politics, winning seven elections in a row between 1982 and 2011.
Signs of the Left’s decline became evident in 2011 when Kisku narrowly held on to the seat by just 182 votes, defeating Trinamool Congress’s Pramila Murmu. The TMC finally breached the Left fortress in 2016, with Birendra Nath Tudu defeating CPI(M)’s Dilip Kumar Hansda by 26,722 votes. In 2021, the TMC fielded Mrityunjoy Murmu, who retained the seat by defeating BJP’s Sudhanshu Hansda with a margin of 19,398 votes. The TMC continued its momentum in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading in the Raipur segment by 17,494 votes. This lead played a crucial role in helping the party snatch the Bankura parliamentary seat from the BJP, with an overall victory margin of 32,778 votes.
Raipur had 224,604 registered voters in the 2021 Assembly elections. Although the seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Caste voters slightly outnumbered them, accounting for 24.68 percent of the electorate, while ST voters made up 24.37 percent. The constituency is overwhelmingly rural, with only 2.26 percent urban voters. Voter turnout has remained high, with 89.30 percent recorded in 2021, up from 86.74 percent in 2016.
Historically, the region now known as Raipur was part of a larger tract called Tungbhum. The name traces back to Nukur Tung, a descendant of the Tung Deo lineage from Puri, who settled in the area around 1448 AD after a decade of wandering. He subdued local robbers and established his rule under the name Raja Chhatra Narayan Deb, naming his kingdom Jagannathpur. The region included present-day Raipur, Simlapal, Phulkusma, and Shyamsundarpur, and became a centre of settlement for Utkal Brahmin families brought in by the Raja. Tungbhum’s legacy continues to echo in the cultural and social fabric of Raipur even today.
Raipur, now part of the Rarh region of Bengal, is known for its red soil and undulating terrain. The area is dotted with sal forests and lies close to the Kangsabati River, which influences local agriculture and water availability. The economy is primarily agrarian, with paddy, vegetables, and pulses being the main crops. Tribal communities also engage in forest-based livelihoods and seasonal labour migration. Industrial activity is minimal, and infrastructure remains modest, with basic road connectivity, primary schools, and rural health centres serving the population.
Raipur town functions as the local administrative hub. The district headquarters, Bankura town, is located about 45 km away, while the state capital Kolkata lies roughly 180 km to the east. Other nearby towns include Sarenga at 15 km, Goaltore at 25 km, and Khatra at 30 km. The region is connected by road networks, though rail access is limited and usually routed through Bankura or Midnapore.
Despite the BJP’s spirited challenge in Raipur, the Trinamool Congress retains an edge going into the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP’s hopes rest on a revival of the Left Front, which could dent the TMC’s vote bank. At the same time, the BJP is expected to woo ST voters by positioning itself as the most ST-friendly party, citing the elevation of Draupadi Murmu as President of India and pointing to its governance record in states like Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which have sizable Scheduled Tribe populations. Raipur is set for a multi-cornered contest where every vote may count in deciding the winner.
(Ajay Jha)
