The seat has seen Tapan Dasgupta claim victory in all three Assembly elections held so far. The first contest in 2011 saw Dasgupta overcome CPI(M)тАЩs Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay by 30,868 votes. The margin narrowed in 2016 as he defeated Dilip Nath of the Congress party by 18,567 votes. It declined further in 2021, as Dasgupta prevailed over the BJPтАЩs Debabrata Biswas by 9,772 votes.
Even though the Trinamool Congress has retained Saptagram, a significant feature has been the narrowing of its victory margin with every election. The BJP, meanwhile, has shown consistent improvement. Its vote share, merely 2.20 per cent in 2011, climbed to 9.15 per cent in 2016 before surging to 43.48 per cent in 2021, falling short of Trinamool Congress by only 5.08 per cent.
The BJPтАЩs growing influence is seen in parliamentary polling too. In the Saptagram segment, the BJP not only overtook the Trinamool Congress but led by 21,585 votes or 11.80 per cent in 2019, although its lead dropped to 2,492 votes, or 1.30 per cent, in 2024.
Saptagram constituency had 238,146 registered voters in 2024, up from 234,840 in 2021 and 225,270 in 2019. Scheduled Caste voters account for 30.50 per cent, Scheduled Tribe voters about 4.29 per cent, and Muslims form 17.50 per cent of the electorate. Voters are almost evenly split between rural and urban residences, with 48.94 per cent living in the countryside and 51.06 per cent in towns. Voter turnout is robust across elections, with slightly higher participation in Assembly polls at 83.95 per cent in 2016 and 82.27 per cent in 2021, compared to Lok Sabha elections, where turnout was 81.96 per cent in 2019 and 80.45 per cent in 2024.
Despite its brief electoral history, Saptagram has a layered and intriguing past. The name Saptagram translates to "seven villages", and the area in the past served as the capital of South Bengal. It was once a flourishing river port and trading centre on the banks of the Saraswati River during medieval times. Old references indicate its status as a major hub connecting Bengal to other regions by water and land. The decline of the SaraswatiтАЩs navigability contributed to its reduced economic significance, but traces of the prosperous trading legacy can still be found in its local customs and community identity.
The terrain of Saptagram is flat land, dotted with ponds and bordered by rivers, typical of the lower Gangetic plains. The area lies near the older course of the Saraswati River. Fertile soil supports agriculture, while local markets draw on trade in crops and small-scale industry. SaptagramтАЩs infrastructure incorporates paved roads and railway links, public health centres, schools, and electrification, with running water available across the municipal regions and most panchayats.
Nearby towns include Chinsurah, about 15 km away, and Hooghly, the district headquarters, which is roughly 20 km from Saptagram. Howrah town is about 30 km away, while Kolkata, the state capital, is 40 km away. In adjacent districts, Serampore is 18 km away, and Chandannagar is around 12 km. The well-established road and rail network ensures regular connectivity to all major urban centres in South Bengal.
There are two clear patterns in how Saptagram voters make their choice. First, people seem to favour the party in power, choosing the Trinamool Congress during state elections and the BJP during national polls. Second, the margins of victory and the leads have become much closer in recent years, making contests tougher. The stage is set for a tight and eventful contest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP in the 2026 Assembly elections. The Left Front-Congress alliance, now at a historic low in Saptagram, is unlikely to impact the result except for adding some colour to the election campaign.
(Ajay Jha)
