Hooghly, 02 April (H.S.): In the Serampore Assembly constituency of West Bengal, jute mill workers have emerged as a key political focus amid the intensifying election atmosphere. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are actively trying to win over this crucial segment of the industrial workforce.

On Wednesday, BJP candidate Bhaskar Bhattacharya visited Sandhya Bazar in Rishra, where he greeted jute mill workers and appealed to them to vote in favor of the BJP. The very next day, on Thursday, TMC candidate Tanmay Ghosh organized a rally with jute workers demanding the reopening of closed mills and submitted a memorandum to the concerned department.

Notably, Serampore and its surrounding areas have long been a major hub of the jute industry. Several mills located in Serampore have historically supported the livelihoods of thousands of families, making the sector central to the region’s economy.

Within the Serampore Assembly constituency, prominent jute mills such as Hastings, Wellington, and Serampore jute mills employ thousands of workers. A significant number of these workers and their families reside in the area, forming an influential vote bank. It is widely believed that a consolidated vote from jute workers can decisively influence the electoral outcome in Serampore.

Issues such as closed mills, irregular employment, and low wages remain the primary concerns of these workers. This is why the demand to reopen closed mills has become a central election issue. While the BJP is focusing on direct outreach and mobilization among workers, the TMC is emphasizing employment generation and industrial revival.

In this context, the Serampore election is not just a political contest but also a crucial referendum on the future of the jute industry and the livelihoods of thousands of worker families.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey