New Delhi, May 4: Chandranath Sinha of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has emerged victorious in the Bolpur Assembly elections, marking his fourth consecutive win. He defeated BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh by a margin of 13,188 votes.
Sinha received a total of 114,915 votes, while Ghosh garnered 101,727 votes. Bapi Soren from the All India Secular Front secured third place with 18,390 votes, followed by the Congress candidate in fourth.
The 2026 elections saw several prominent candidates contesting. The TMC once again placed its trust in the incumbent, Chandranath Sinha, while the BJP nominated Dilip Ghosh. The primary competition was anticipated to be between the TMC and the BJP, although left parties also aimed to maintain their traditional foothold in the region.
The Bolpur Assembly seat is considered significant within Birbhum district. Known for its cultural and political importance, this seat is particularly recognized due to the Shantiniketan-Bolpur area. It falls under the Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Historically, left parties, especially the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), dominated this seat for an extended period. From 1977 to 2006, the RSP consistently won elections, establishing it as a stronghold of the left front. Tapan Hore achieved four consecutive victories in 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. However, since 2011, the TMC has solidified its position, with Sinha being elected as MLA in 2011, 2016, and 2021.
This seat has seen a significant shift in political power, with the left’s influence declining and the TMC rising as the dominant political force in recent years.
The Bolpur Assembly seat was established in 1951, making it one of the older constituencies in West Bengal. Its boundaries have changed over time due to periodic delimitation, with the current configuration established after the 2006 delimitation process.
Voter turnout in Bolpur has consistently been high. In the 2026 Assembly elections, approximately 89 to 90 percent of eligible voters participated, aligning with the state average. High voter turnout was also observed in the 2011 and 2016 elections, with significant participation in 2021 as well.
In the previous election results, Chandranath Sinha of the TMC defeated BJP’s Dr. Anirban Ganguly in the 2021 Assembly elections. In 2016, he also triumphed over RSP’s Tapan Hore.
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