As the fourth phase of voting in West Bengal's Baharampur proceeds, local MP and Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has launched a major offensive against TMC and BJP. 'Mamata (CM Mamata Banerjee) has used a former cricketer against me. He is but a scapegoat,' Chowdhury said. Further, he alleged that Mamata Banerjee sent Yusuf to Baharampur to split the minority vote. 'However, it's surprising that this individual (Yusuf) has never spoken a word against Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi),' he added.
Chowdhury claims that TMC has fielded Pathan as a candidate in Baharampur as part of a polarization strategy for minority votes, suggesting a collusion between TMC and BJP. 'We will win, of that I am certain. The competition is with BJP and TMC, not with any individual. TMC should not have nominated Yusuf Pathan here; it's pointless,' he remarked.
Adhir Ranjan: A Sixth Electoral Bout from Baharampur
Previously, Adhir Ranjan had accused TMC of trying to obstruct his booth agents at several locations. He expressed confidence in winning the election from Baharampur for the sixth time. He accused that 'Didi' (sister, a reference to Mamata Banerjee) is acting as a broker for Modi, which is why 'we could not become a part of the India Block in Bengal,' he argued.
Chowdhury's Prestige Battle
It is notable that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a Congress leader, has consistently won the Murshidabad constituency's Baharampur Lok Sabha seat since 1999, now contesting for the sixth term. His competition includes Dr. Nirmal Kumar Saha from BJP, a well-known local surgeon. This election is a battle for prestige for Chowdhury. While his victories have been assumed easy in previous years, this time it seems less certain. In 2009, he secured about 57% of the votes with a victory margin of over 1.8 lakh. In 2014, he won by more than 3 lakh votes with close to 50% vote share. However, in 2019, his margin of victory decreased to about 80,000 and a vote share of 45%.
Most Muslim Population in Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a Muslim-majority district, adjacent to the Bangladesh border. The Baharampur seat has 63% Muslim and 37% Hindu populations. Chowdhury has been the choice for both Hindu and Muslim voters in Baharampur over the years. However, this time circumstances have changed. TMC has spared no effort to woo Muslim voters, while BJP has expended considerable effort to rally Hindu voters.
