BALURGHAT: A high-voltage triangular contest is unfolding in the crucial Balurghat Assembly Constituency, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left-backed Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) have intensified their campaigns ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
From workers’ meetings to outreach in local markets, ferry ghats and small public gatherings, all three political camps are leaving no stone unturned to consolidate support. The Constituency, which includes the district headquarters, Balurghat town, the international trade hub of Hili, and vast rural and border areas, presents diverse demands—making the electoral battle more complex and closely fought.
The BJP has placed railway development at the centre of its campaign. Party candidate Bidyut Roy has been highlighting a series of proposed and ongoing rail initiatives, including expansion of the Balurghat–Hili rail line, new train services connecting Balurghat to Sealdah and Nabadwip, infrastructure upgrades at local stations under the Amrit Bharat scheme, and proposals for long-distance trains to Delhi and Bengaluru.
Roy said: “The BJP-led Central government has opened a new horizon of railway development in Balurghat and the district. The contribution of our local MP and Union Minister, Sukanta Majumdar, is well known. We are also fighting against corruption and the culture of cut money.”
Countering this narrative, TMC candidate Arpita Ghosh is focusing on what she describes as “holistic development” under the state government. Her campaign highlights welfare schemes like Kanyashree and Sabuj Sathi, improvements in roads, drinking water and electrification and key institutions such as a super speciality hospital, a university and a theatre excellence centre in Balurghat. Ghosh directly challenged the BJP’s railway plank, stating: “A new Balurghat–Sealdah train has been introduced, but the Gour Link Express was withdrawn in return—making it a zero-sum change. It was during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure as Railway Minister that this district first received rail connectivity. The BJP government later scrapped the wagon factory project at Buniadpur, affecting jobs and development. Railway expansion alone cannot be equated with overall development.”
Meanwhile, the Left Front-backed RSP candidate Arnab Chowdhury is invoking the legacy of his father, former eight-time MLA Biswanath Chowdhury, while positioning the Left as a credible alternative. Chowdhury said: “Our fight is against communal forces represented by the BJP and against corruption. The Left remains the only alternative for the people.”