Barrackpore is one of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal. The constituency centres on Barrackpore, with all assembly segments coming under the North 24 Parganas district. It consists of the following seven assembly segments: Amdanga (TMC), Bijapur (TMC), Naihati (TMC), Bhatpara (BJP), Jagatdal (TMC), Noapara (TMC) and Barrackpur (TMC). Voting for the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat will take place in the fifth phase of General Elections on May 20. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
2019 Result and 2024 Candidates
Arjun Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the sitting MP from Barrackpore. In 2019, he won the seat by a margin of 14,857 votes, trumping TMC’s Dinesh Trivedi with a 42.82% vote share.
The top contenders in Barrackpore in the 2024 polls are Arjun Singh (BJP), Partha Bhowmick (TMC) and Debdut Ghosh (CPI-M, backed by Congress)
Political Dynamics
BJP Banks on “Baahubali” Arjun Singh
In many ways, the fight for Barrackpore in 2024 is playing out on the lines of what was witnessed in 2019. Arjun Singh, prior to the 2019 election, had jumped ship from the TMC and joined the saffron camp. However, three years later, despite being a BJP MP, Arjun Singh switched sides and hopped over to the TMC – purportedly on the assurance that he would be provided a party ticket for the ongoing elections. However, as the TMC announced its candidate list in March, Arjun Singh’s name was nowhere to be found. Alleging that he had been cheated by the TMC, Arjun Singh then reverted to the BJP, making this his fourth political switch so far.
The BJP was then quick to field him from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, primarily because the party does not have any other big face with a substantial influence in the constituency. Arjun Singh is a known “baahubali” who has substantial support in Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Barrackpur assembly segments. There are about 30-35 per cent Hindi-speaking voters in Barrackpore LS, concentrated mostly in the Jute belt. This is a solid vote bank which supports Arjun Singh notwithstanding the party he contests from. In 2019, he won the seat by a margin of 14,857 votes, trumping TMC’s Dinesh Trivedi with a 42.82% vote share.
Arjun Singh’s candidature also gave rise to some discontent in the local BJP unit, where leaders and workers were disturbed with the serial political turncoat being fielded by the party again. In the BJP’s mind though, Arjun Singh remains their safest bet to retain Barrackpore, and is best suited to challenge the TMC here. Soon after the BJP announced his candidacy, posters against Arjun Singh were spotted at the Barrackpore station which read “Bhag Arjun Bhag” (Run Arjun, Run). Despite the BJP’s denial of factionalism, all 23 mandals under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency had leaders who began conveying their opposition to Arjun Singh’s candidature.
In many ways, the BJP’s Hindutva plank finds considerable takers in Barrackpore, mostly due to the large presence of Hindi-speaking population here. It is no surprise that the Ram Mandir, and the role which the Modi government played in making the same a reality, has been finding many takers in Barrackpore. On Ram Navami, Arjun Singh even led a mega procession where participants enthusiastically chanted “Jai Shree Ram”.
The BJP is expected to maintain its hold over the low-income groups in Barrackpore, and the personality of Arjun Singh is expected to play a decisive factor in ensuring their votes come to the BJP. However, some of the more Middle Class and educated set of voters could also side with the CPI(M), with the Left-Congress combine having fielded Debdut Ghosh, who is a prominent theatre personality.
Observers say there is a likelihood of the CPI(M)’s vote share rising this election. In 2019, the Left had got about 10% of the votes in Barrackpore. What remains to be seen, however, is which party’s votes the Left cuts into – the BJP or TMC. Given that the BJP has been a major recipient of the Left’s collapse in recent years, the effect could be more pronounced for the saffron party.
TMC Poses Significant Challenge
In 2014, the TMC had won Barrackpore with a margin of over 2.06 lakh votes, and the BJP was nowhere close to it back then. In 2014, the TMC defeated the CPI(M), which had emerged second on the electoral chart. Cut to 2019, the TMC received a drubbing so magnificent that the BJP was able to trump it by over 14,000 votes. For the TMC, this was a humiliating loss, as the Left’s near collapse had caught the Mamata Banerjee-led party off-guard and resulted in a surprise saffron win. Five years since, the TMC is making a determined push to wrest control of Barrackpore from the BJP.
To do so, it has fielded Naihati MLA and state minister Partha Bhowmick, a debutant in parliamentary politics hailing from the same district. For the TMC, the minority vote of Barrackpore has never been more important. A lot depends on the kind of inroads which Partha Bhowmick can make in assembly segments with higher Muslim voter concentration, especially Amdanga. It is crucial that Bhowmick registers a significant lead in Amdanga and Naihati if it wishes to counter Singh’s influence over Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Barrackpore. Naihati is Arjun Singh’s home turf, so the TMC definitely faces a big challenge in trying to win the parliamentary constituency.
Apart from the Muslims, the TMC will also need to lure in lower-income groups, something which the party feels its welfare schemes like Lakhsmi Bhandar, and others can help achieve. However, penetrating this segment will be an uphill task, given the influence BJP’s Arjun Singh continues to command here.
The TMC also feels that the Arjun Singh factor may be getting overplayed by analysts. Partha Bhowmick argues that if Arjun Singh was indeed such a big factor in Barrackpore, the BJP would have not lost six assembly segments in the 2021 state election.
The TMC hopes that Arjun Singh’s image as a political turncoat will turn the tide in Partha Bhowmick’s favour. In fact, in a subtle reference to Arjun Singh switching sides and joining the BJP again, TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee even said that the saffron party was waiting for leaders “rejected” by the ruling party as it did not have candidates of its own. However, that would be a gross understatement of the fight Barrackpore is witnessing. The BJP still has a fair chance of retaining the seat, and the onus is on the TMC to counter not just Arjun Singh, but Narendra Modi’s popularity as well.
Key Issues
Law and Order
Law and order issues in Barrackpore have been time and again brought to the fore. The opposition has alleged that gangs and criminals have been allowed to roam free in the region backed by local politicians. Violence has also been one of the major concerns of the people as murder, and robberies have continued unabated. Many cases of armed robberies have been registered in the region. People continue to live in fear and have voiced their concern to the local administration, the MLA, MP and the state government but to no avail. Former TMC MP from Barrackpore had also slammed the state government for its failure to ensure law and order in the region.
Outside Migration
There are a lot of jute mills in the region which create employment for the people. However, mill owners have employed migrant labourers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh who work at cheaper rates than the local population. This has created an issue for the local workers who blame the outsiders for the lack of employment in the region. Due to this labourers and daily wage earners from the region have to leave for employment opportunities.
Political Violence
Political violence aided by criminals have been alleged by the opposition in Barrackpore. The BJP has alleged that the TMC has used goons and criminals to threaten candidates and voters alike and have disrupted political campaigns. In 2020, a BJP leader was gunned down by motorcycle gunmen. That was the third incident of political violence in as many months in 2020.
Jute Mill Worker Issues
Jute mill workers in Barrackpore have been neglected for a long time. Almost all of the government mills have been closed and only a few remain under private ownership. Labourers have been working in the same mills for years. Their forefathers had also worked in the same mills and have lived in the same conditions. There is a lack of basic facilities in the settlements of these labourers. The workers of jute mills get less than Rs 500 per day i.e. around Rs 15,000 per month. Labourers trying to provide a better life for their children have been left in the lurch as they cannot afford to even provide education to their children as it has become expensive. Political interference was also seen dominating the operation of jute mills.
Healthcare and Education
There is a lack of educational facilities that can provide adequate education. The level of education provided by government schools is low and the private schools are too expensive for the daily wage labourers. Moreover, even the hospital infrastructure in the region lacks basic facilities. If people fall sick, they have to travel to Kolkata for medical care. People have voiced their concern, but the state government has remained indifferent to their needs.
Drinking Water
Drinking water is a major issue in Barrackpore, studies have shown that groundwater quality in the region is quite hard and is having an excess amount of Magnesium. Moreover, piped water provided by the municipality is not adequate and has not reached all of the households. Issues of water pipes bursting has also created issues of unavailability of water in many areas.
Waterlogging
Waterlogging has been a major issue in Barrackpore. Inadequate sewage systems have failed to keep up with the rising population. Moreover, the sewage system is old and crumbling as the city gets waterlogged even after short spurts of rain. This causes major issues for the citizens as people remain stuck in their houses as the city remains paralysed for days. Moreover, dumped garbage on the streets enters people home with the water creating unhygienic conditions and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Infrastructure Development
Kalyani Expressway Expansion
To improve connectivity between Kolkata and Kalyani, a new expressway is currently under construction. This tolled roadway will span approximately 40 kilometres and feature multiple lanes to accommodate traffic flow. Once completed, it will provide a faster and more convenient route for commuters travelling between these two areas within the Kolkata metropolitan region. The expansion will connect Birati to Barrackpore.
Amrit Bharat Station
Barrackpore station is set to receive a major upgrade as part of the central government’s Amrit Bharat scheme. The initiative aims to enhance passenger facilities and infrastructure, while also transforming the station into a key logistical hub. These improvements are expected to benefit both travellers and the local economy.
Metro
The pink line or the Metro line 5 is a new line covering a distance of 12.5 km. It will connect Baranagar to Barrackpore. The metro station is under construction in New Barrackpore. It will cost Rs. 2069.6 Crores.
Sewage Treatment Plant
The upcoming treatment plant is one of the 13 under construction in West Bengal. It will add 295 MLD of sewage treatment capacity to the region.
Railway Infrastructure
Passenger amenities were enhanced with the addition of foot overbridges, improved lighting, and new waiting halls. Stations like Barrackpore and Naihati received upgrades such as platform extensions and new escalators. Efforts were also made to modernise signalling systems and improve station aesthetics. The installation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines and Pay & Use Toilets at various stations aimed to streamline ticketing processes and provide essential amenities. Efforts were also made to improve energy efficiency through the use of LED lighting and energy-saving measures at stations.
Voter Demographics
Total Voters: 1433276
Social Composition
SC: 232,191 (16.2%)
ST: 20,066 (1.4%)
Geographical Composition
Urban Voters: 1,188,186 (82.9%)
Rural Voters: 245,090 (17.1%)
Religious Composition:
Hindu: 81.7%
Muslim: 16.9%
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