Trinamool fields party veteran’s son Sandipan Saha in Entally
Kolkata: Since Entally became a separate Assembly Constituency in 2011 following delimitation, Trinamool Congress leader Swarnakamal Saha has won three consecutive terms — 2011, 2016 and 2021. This time, the party has fielded his son, Sandipan Saha — a long-time councillor and Member, Mayor-in-Council (Education and Information Technology) of Kolkata Municipal Corporation — from Entally, comprising wards 54, 55, 56, 58 and 59.
“Bengal is moving forward on development-centric politics. Even critics will acknowledge its transformation into a progressive state. Various initiatives have eased people’s lives. I am going door to door with the development model of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and receiving an overwhelming response,” Saha said.
He claimed civic amenities such as water supply and drainage have improved and will improve further with two more water projects planned. In Chinatown, an underground drainage system has addressed waterlogging, while another drainage project has been approved for Topsia, with work to begin after the elections.
Saha said deletion of 49,000 voter names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise will not affect the results. “Even those who voted in 2024 had to re-establish their electoral rights. We held camps to help people with forms and hearings. No other party stood by them. Voters are ready to respond through the ballot,” he said. He alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party lacks a development agenda and is relying on divisive polarisation. “True religion lies in serving humanity. Our Chief Minister is practising this humanistic ‘dharma’,” he said. A graduate of St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata with an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Saha said he left a corporate career to pursue public service. If elected, he said priority would be improving services for residents of ‘Uttaran’, an erstwhile slum. “The work there is continuous; once one task is completed, another must begin,” he added.
In 2011 and 2016, the victory margins in Entally were 24,996 and 27,988 respectively. In the last Assembly election, the margin rose to over 58,257. “This time, I hope to increase it further,” Saha said.
