Kolkata, 18 Mar (H.S.): The Asansol South Assembly constituency in West Bardhaman district is once again likely to witness a direct contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

The constituency was formed in 2008 following the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission, which divided the erstwhile Asansol Assembly segment into two parts Asansol South and Asansol North.

The constituency comprises 22 wards of the Asansol Municipal Corporation and five gram panchayats under the Raniganj Community Development Block. With only 5.55 per cent rural voters, the seat is largely considered an urban constituency.

A total of four Assembly elections have been held in this constituency so far. TMC leader Tapas Banerjee won the seat in 2011 and 2016. In 2021, BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul defeated TMC candidate Sayani Ghosh to register the party’s first victory from the seat.

Earlier, Tapas Banerjee had defeated CPI(M) candidates in two consecutive elections. He defeated Alok Kumar Mukherjee by 28,541 votes in 2011 and Hemanta Prabhakar by 14,283 votes in 2016.

In 2021, the TMC changed its strategy by fielding Tapas Banerjee from Raniganj and nominating film actress Sayani Ghosh from Asansol South. The move did not work in the party’s favour as BJP candidate and fashion designer Agnimitra Paul won the seat by a margin of 4,487 votes, marking BJP’s maiden victory here.

BJP’s performance in the region has not been limited to the 2021 Assembly elections. The party has steadily expanded its base in the area over the years. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP secured a lead of 21,062 votes in the Asansol South Assembly segment. The lead increased to 53,820 votes in 2019, though it declined to 12,157 votes in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

These trends indicate that BJP’s support base, particularly among Hindi-speaking voters, has grown significantly in the constituency. Hindi-speaking voters, many of whom have roots in Bihar and Jharkhand, are estimated to constitute around 35 to 40 per cent of the electorate.

According to official data, the constituency had 274,245 registered voters in the 2021 Assembly elections, compared to 258,223 in 2019 and 247,366 in 2016.

Muslim voters account for around 12.30 per cent of the electorate, while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute 20.56 per cent and 6.50 per cent respectively. Voter turnout stood at 74.01 per cent in 2021, 75.48 per cent in 2019 and 75.08 per cent in 2016.

The Asansol South seat is again expected to witness a keen contest in the upcoming Assembly elections, with the BJP aiming to retain the constituency on the back of its recent victory and support among migrant voters.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh