The Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency, located in the state of West Bengal, is one of the 42 parliamentary constituencies from the state. Classified as a General category seat, it covers a portion of the Uttar Dinajpur district. Currently, the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven Legislative Assembly segments, including Islampur, Goalpokhar, Chakulia, Karandighi, Hemtabad (SC), Kaliaganj (SC), and Raiganj, all situated within Uttar Dinajpur district. Voting for Lok Sabha polls in Raiganj constituency will take place on April 26 in the second phase. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
2019 Results and 2024 Candidates
Debashree Chaudhuri of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Raiganj seat. The BJP has fielded Kartik Pal for Lok Sabha election 2024.
The Congress has fielded Ali Imran Ramz (Victor) from the Raiganj seat while the Trinamool Congress has given a ticket to Krishna Kalyani.
Facts About the Raiganj Constituency
- The Raiganj Lok Sabha Constituency is seen as a crucial, high-profile constituency in the state of West Bengal. It lies close to the Seemanchal region of Bihar and shares a long border with Bangladesh.
- The constituency was a Congress party bastion until 1991 when the Communist Party took over the seat for an entire decade under Subrata Mukherjee. Former union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi of Congress held this seat between 1999 and 2009. He was succeeded by his wife Deepa Dasmunsi in 2009 after he fell into a coma.
- In 2014, the constituency switched to the CPIM, electing Mohammed Salim as its MP. Finally, in 2019, the BJP took over with Debashree Chaudhuri as the Raiganj MP.
- In 2021 Assembly polls, the TMC scored five out of seven seats, including Islampur, Goalpokhar, Chakulia, Karandighi and Hemtabad (SC). The BJP won two – Kaliaganj (SC) and Raiganj.
- The Modi Wave remains quite prevalent in Raiganj, particularly among the Hindu population. Moreover, the penetration of central schemes, though not implemented in their entirety by the ruling TMC government, has been enough to stir up a sense that PM Modi has worked for them. The strengthening of borders in recent years also plays a role in popularising the Modi factor.
- With the constituency having a high concentration of Muslim voters, minor communal tensions remain which trigger a degree of religious polarisation. Moreover, the Ram Mandir issue finds resonance here, and Ram Navami celebrations are expected to bolster the saffron party’s performance.
- The Rajbonshis who are concentrated in Kaliaganj, Hemtabad and Karandighi comprise a large part of the Hindu vote lean heavily towards the BJP. The party is also popular among SC, ST and OBC voters and is expected to put up a formidable show uniting a large part of the Hindu vote.
Key Constituency Issues
Cornering BSF
The TMC government often engages in face-offs with the BSF. It is opposed to the tight border control practices that the force adheres to and is accused of being non-cooperative by the centre in its attempts to curb illegal movement at the border. Recent deaths of four young boys at a BSF work site has ignited a political firestorm with the TMC accusing the BSF of negligence and highhandedness.
The TMC also associates the BSF’s conduct with the central BJP government’s larger commitment to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) stoking fears that minorities will be disenfranchised.
Demographic Change
Many locals allege that the area is going through a demographic change as more and more people cross over from Bangladesh through a porous border. While the BJP is more receptive to these concerns, the TMC is dismissive.
Corruption and ED Raids
Krishna Kalyani, TMC’s candidate in Raiganj, was at the receiving end of ED’s suspicions when his office and residence were raided, following concerns of income tax fraud and other financial irregularities. This fuelled a major row with speculation around corruption, while others sensed political hostility to be the root cause of the situation. Krishna Kalyani alleges that after he joined the TMC following his victory on a BJP ticket, he became a victim of political vendetta.
Communal tensions
While no major communal incidents have taken place here of late, tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities prevail. In recent years, clashes between the communities during Ram Navami celebrations have put the Hindu community on edge, driving a polarisation of votes. A similar tide of polarisation is being witnessed among the Muslim vote bank.
CAA, NRC and UCC
The TMC government in the state is vehemently opposed to the implementation of CAA and NRC. While the Modi government has set the ball rolling on CAA, Mamata Banerjee has opposed the move. Moreover, she has also raised the Uniform Civil Code, which is a poll promise of the BJP. During Eid celebrations this month, Banerjee addressed a gathering of the Muslim community, saying that “torture” will not be tolerated and that a Uniform Civil Code is unacceptable. She further signalled to the crowd that UCC, NRC and UCC will not be accepted by her government.
Tribal Issues
The tribal community in Raiganj faces land loss, displacement, and cultural neglect. Forced evictions threaten livelihoods, while students are denied exams in their native language. Additionally, 11 hill communities await Scheduled Tribe status.
Other Civic Issues
Raiganj struggles with infrastructural challenges rising from unplanned growth, increasing traffic congestion, and illegal encroachment. Traffic woes continue and locals demand a flyover at the railway level crossing. The Raiganj Municipality and Railways blame each other for the delay which points to a lack of coordination and administrative failure at the political level. The BJP accuses the state government of delaying the project by withholding necessary approvals. Ultimately, the locals are caught in the middle of this fiasco, with no solution in sight.
Adding to the town’s traffic woes is the uncontrolled movement of totos, which are known to contribute to traffic snarls and accidents. The district administration, in collaboration with the municipality and traffic police, has decided to implement a ban on totos and introduce e-rickshaws as a safer alternative.
AIIMS Raiganj
The establishment of an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raiganj has been a longstanding demand of the region, but has since then faced a long delay. The issue dates back to 2009 when the project was initially approved, but it remains stuck on the land acquisition level. In 2013, the then Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad accused the TMC government of not cooperating, claiming that the state government was pushing for the hospital to be located near Kolkata instead of Raiganj. In 2024, narrative has shifted, with the TMC now accusing the BJP of deliberately stalling the AIIMS project in Raiganj.
Who Stands Where
In the 2024 general elections, it’s a triangular contest with the BJP, Congress and TMC in the fray, with a close contest expected between the BJP and TMC.
BJP
BJP MP Debashree Chaudhuri won the seat in 2019 with a margin of over 60,000 votes and a vote share of 40.06%. Debashree Chaudhuri is facing a strong case of anti-incumbency in the constituency, as despite being made a minister of state at the Centre between 2019 and 2021, Chaudhuri, observers say, has not been able to bring the level of development and progress that the people had desired. Her connection with her constituents is also weak.
Fearing anti-incumbency and a formidable threat from the TMC, the BJP decided to field another face from this seat, namely Kartik Pal. The BJP’s decision to replace Chaudhuri with Pal also is a move to address the “local vs. outsider” debate that had been simmering within the party and electorate. By fielding a local candidate like Pal, the party hopes it can consolidate support base and address concerns of Chaudhuri’s “outsider” status. It remains to be seen whether this move will pay off.
Kartik Pal is a former TMC leader who switched to the BJP in 2020, aligning with Suvendu Adhikari. Pal was initially in the Congress when he won the 2015 Kaliaganj Municipal Election and served as the vice chairman. Kartik Pal is a well-known leader in the constituency, and his campaign efforts are in full flow, bolstered by Suvendu Adhikari’s grand appearances in the constituency.
He is especially well-footed in Kaliaganj, whose municipality he has led for years.
TMC
The TMC has fielded Krishna Kalyani as its candidate. Kalyani is a well-known businessman and had earlier won the Raiganj Assembly seat on a BJP ticket in 2021. However, he resigned from BJP on October 1, 2021, and subsequently joined the TMC.
In 2023, the ED and CBI conducted raids at Kalyani’s office and residence after his company’s business transactions came under investigation. Kalyani emerged out of the controversy unscathed.
Kalyani has cultivated favour among the people here by being present on the ground. In fact, observers cite his help for victims during the Covid pandemic.
Kalyani has a strong backing of CM Mamata Banerjee, who will be campaigning in Raiganj to boost his chances.
Congress
The Congress has fielded 44-year-old Ali Imran Ramz or Victor from Raiganj. Ramz is particularly popular in Muslim-dominated seats of Islampur and Chakulia. He won Islampur by-polls in 2009 and in 2011 he was elected from Chakulia.
Since then he has been a two-time MLA from Chakulia until he was dethroned by TMC’s Minhajul Arfin Azad. In 2019, an FIR was booked against Ramz for alleged rioting in neighbouring Kishanganj in Bihar, and extortion and assault.
Ramz sees the BJP as his primary target this election, vying for the maximum number of Muslim votes. In reality, he is competing with the TMC for minority votes, and to some degree is also expected to eat into the TMC’s vote share in what is already a close contest with the BJP.
Voter Demographics
The Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency has a total of 1599948 voters as per the 2019 data. Of these, 13.9% are urban voters while 86.2% are rural voters. The literacy rate in Raiganj stands at 49.54%.
Of the total voters, 29.3% are SC voters while 5% are from the Scheduled Tribes. Hindu voters account for 57.5% of the total voters, 41.7% are Muslims while 0.56% are Christians.
Stay Ahead With all the Lok Sabha Election 2024 Related Real-Time Updates At News18 Website.