Bankura is a key parliamentary constituency, out of 42 in West Bengal is set to witness polls on May 25th during the 6th phase of the Lok Sabha Elections.This constituency is a general category constituency and has a literacy rate of 61.14 percent.
It has seven assembly segments spanning two districts: Purulia, which includes Raghunathpur constituency; and Bankura, which includes Saltora, Chhatna, Ranibandh, Raipur, Taldangra, and Bankura assembly constituencies.
As per the last 2021 assembly elections, the BJP secured the Raghunathpur, Saltora, Chhatna, and Bankura assembly constituencies, whereas the Trinamool Congress secured Ranibandh, Raipur, and Taldangra constituencies. As per the 2011 census, the number of rural and urban voters in this parliamentary seat is approximately 14,53,758 and 1,90,765, which is around 88.4 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively. This seat was a stronghold of the CPI(M) from 1980 until the TMC seized control of the seat in 2014 followed by the BJP’s victory in 2019.
Competitors
The BJP has fielded Subhas Sarkar for a second consecutive time in this seat to contest against Nilanjan Dasgupta from the CPI(M) and Arup Chakrabarty from the Trinamool Congress, among the long list of contenders racing for this vying seat. The CPI(M) is aiming to regain its lost stronghold, whereas the BJP is eyeing a second consecutive win this election.
Previous Result
In the 2019 general elections, with 1,47,333 marginal votes, Subrata Mukherjee from the AITC was defeated by the BJP’s Subhas Sarkar with 6,75,319 votes and 49.23 percent of the vote share.
In the 2014 elections, the AITC’s Sreemati Dev Varma, with 98,506 marginal votes, defeated the CPI(M)’s Acharia Basudeb, securing 4,83,455 votes and 39.87 percent of the vote share.
In 2009, the CPI(M)’s Acharia Basudeb, with 4,69,223 votes and 47.66 percent of the vote share, defeated the Congress’ Subrata Mukherjee with 1,07,802 marginal votes.
The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held on June 4.
