Kolkata, May 4: In the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Monteshwar constituency in East Bardhaman district witnessed a remarkable voter turnout of 93.56%. BJP’s young candidate, Saikat Panja, secured a significant victory, defeating TMC’s Siddiqullah Chowdhury by 14,798 votes.
Panja garnered 96,559 votes, while Chowdhury received 81,761 votes. CPI(M)’s Anupam Ghosh came in third with 18,192 votes, and Congress’s Jyotirmay Mandal received very few votes. The average voter turnout across East Bardhaman district was 93.83%, one of the highest in this election.
Monteshwar is a general category seat that falls under the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency. Its current structure was established after the 2008 delimitation. The political history of this seat is quite intriguing. Initially, the Left Front dominated, with CPI(M) winning multiple times. Later, TMC strengthened its hold. In the 2021 elections, Chowdhury had defeated BJP’s Panja by a margin of 31,508 votes.
This time, the BJP placed its trust in 34-year-old Saikat Panja. A postgraduate, Panja was previously associated with CPI(M) before joining BJP. He has two criminal cases against him and declared assets worth approximately ₹44.6 lakh.
On the other hand, TMC’s 76-year-old Siddiqullah Chowdhury is also a postgraduate. He has one case registered against him, with assets reported to be around ₹1.8 crore. CPI(M)’s 42-year-old Anupam Ghosh is a graduate with no criminal cases and total assets of ₹10.6 lakh. Congress’s Jyotirmay Mandal, aged 56, has completed his 12th grade.
The Monteshwar constituency has a mix of rural and semi-urban voters. The high voter turnout indicated an engaging contest from the start. The BJP effectively leveraged anti-incumbency sentiments and local issues, which worked in their favor. The vote split between the Left parties and Congress also benefited the BJP.
Panja’s victory is attributed to the appeal of a youthful candidate and strong organizational efforts. Meanwhile, TMC faced challenges in maintaining its traditional voter base. The outcome in Monteshwar not only impacts local dynamics but also influences the broader political landscape of West Bengal.
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