Siliguri: The Matigara–Naxalbari Assembly Constituency in Darjeeling district is witnessing an intense political contest, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) banking heavily on tea garden voters to secure a victory this time. The party has fielded seasoned politician Shankar Malakar, a former Congress leader who had earlier served as the MLA of the Constituency for two terms.
Malakar, as a Congress candidate in 2021, had lost the previous Assembly elections to BJP’s Anandamay Barman. He is optimistic about reversing the result this year. His campaign strategy has largely revolved around extensive outreach in tea garden areas, highlighting what he claims to be the absence of Barman, the sitting BJP MLA in these parts for the past five years. The Constituency presents a complex electoral equation, with nearly 40 per cent Rajbanshi voters alongside a significant population residing in around 23 tea gardens. Recognising the importance of this demography, Malakar has been actively visiting each tea garden, accompanied by Arun Ghosh, the Sabhadhipati of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad and Nirjal Dey, district president of INTTUC, who have been closely involved in the campaign. Sanjay Tibrewal, the party’s district chairman, has also been participating in the outreach efforts.
While the TMC is focusing on consolidating tea garden votes, the BJP is believed to have strong backing among the Rajbanshi community. In response, Malakar has expanded his campaign to include Rajbanshi-dominated areas as well as Tribal communities, leaving no stone unturned in his bid to reclaim the seat.
Speaking about his campaign, Malakar said: “Wherever I am going, I am receiving a good response. People in the tea gardens know me well—we share a long-standing relationship. That is why I am focusing on these areas. Once Mamata Banerjee joins the campaign, it will gain further momentum. I want to win this seat and present it as a gift to her.”
On the other hand, BJP candidate Anandamay Barman has also been actively campaigning but recently faced protests while campaigning in Naxalbari market, with locals alleging a lack of development work in the area. Dismissing the criticism, Barman said: “People are with us. Everyone knows the work I have done and where I have done it. This time, I will win by a margin of over one lakh votes.” Left Front has fielded CPI(M) candidate Jharen Roy for this Constituency. In 2021, along with Anandamay Barman and Shankar Malakar, Rajesh Sundas contested the election as a TMC candidate. Anandamay won by a margin of 18,627 votes, defeating Shankar Malakar, the then Congress candidate. Anadamay’s margin with Rajen Sundas, the TMC candidate, was 70,848 votes.
This time, the total number of electors is 2,77,004. Among them, 1,37,889 are male voters, 1,39,111 are female voters, and 4 belong to the third gender.