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Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate and State Minister Shashi Panja is seeking a fourth consecutive term from the Shyampukur Assembly constituency as West Bengal heads into a two-phased Assembly election on April 23 and 29.
Representing a key urban segment in North Kolkata, Panja faces Bharatiya Janata Party's first-time candidate Poornima Chakraborty in what is expected to be a closely watched contest, even as the TMC attempts to retain its long-standing hold over the seat. Shyampukur, a general category constituency under the Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha seat, holds significant political weight due to its urban character and historical electoral shifts. Shyampukur comprises of 11 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Historically, the seat witnessed prolonged dominance by the Forward Bloc, which won it 10 times, while Congress secured it on four occasions. However, since 2011, the Trinamool Congress has firmly established its grip over the constituency. Shashi Panja first nominated by TMC in 2011, has won three consecutive elections since then, continuing her winning streak in the following elections in 2016, and 2021. A doctor-turned-politician and a key member of Mamata Banerjee's cabinet, Panja currently handles crucial portfolios including Women and Child Development and Social Welfare. Past election results are a testament to her dominance over the Shyampukur constituency. In 2016, she secured 53,507 votes (46.9%) and defeated Forward Bloc's Piyali Pal by 13,155 votes. The BJP, at the time, was a distant third with just over 16 per cent vote share. In 2021, Panja strengthened her position, winning 55,785 votes (54.7%) and defeating BJP's Sandipan Biswas by a margin of 22,520 votes. Notably, the BJP's vote share surged to over 32%, marking its emergence as the key challenger, while the Left slipped to third position. Over the years, however, the BJP has transformed the contest into a bipolar fight between the TMC and the BJP. While Panja continues to enjoy incumbency advantage and organisational backing, the BJP has steadily expanded its base in the constituency, from just around 3.6% vote share in 2011 to over 32% in 2021. Interestingly, at the parliamentary level too, voting trends indicate a tighter contest. While the Trinamool Congress led in the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha segments, the BJP edged ahead in 2019 and retained a narrow lead in 2024, suggesting a gradual shift in voter preference in favour of the saffron party in national elections. However, Panja remains confident, calling her renomination a "matter of prestige and responsibility" and thanking party leadership, including Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, for their trust. The constituency also holds historical importance due to the unusual 1971 election cancellation following the deaths of two candidates, including sitting MLA Hemanta Kumar Basu. Over the decades, Shyampukur has transitioned from Left dominance to becoming a TMC bastion. As West Bengal prepares for polling across its 294 Assembly seats in two phases--April 23 and April 29--with counting scheduled for May 4, Shyampukur remains a crucial urban battleground. While the TMC aims to extend its winning streak through Shashi Panja, the BJP looks to win in the constituency with its new face, Poornima Chakraborty. (ANI)
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