Tamluk, April 16 -- Tamluk Assembly Constituency, which carries historical significance with links to the ancient Indian port town of Tamralipta, is set to witness an interesting electoral battle this time, with Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Dipendra Narayan Roy, a descendant of the Tamralipta royal family, taking on the BJP's Hare Krishna Bera in what is largely a bipolar contest.

Tamluk flourished in ancient India, with its port serving as a key gateway for maritime trade with Southeast Asia. The local economy of the Constituency, situated on the deltaic plains at the confluence of the Rupnarayan and Haldi rivers, largely depends on rice cultivation, fishing and small-scale businesses.

The upcoming election is expected to see an intense contest in Tamluk, where the BJP is making a strong push to win the seat, backed by the Adhikari family's influence and a prevailing anti-incumbency factor. The ruling TMC is largely banking on the development initiatives and social schemes of the Mamata Banerjee government.

The royal family of Tamluk, of which Roy is a member, had for years functioned as a formidable anti-Left force. Roy has now entered a different electoral battle, with the ruling party fielding him in place of the sitting MLA Soumen Mahapatra. He has previously served as vice-chairman of the Tamluk municipality and is contesting the Assembly elections for the first time. Bera, who was defeated by Mahapatra in the 2021 Assembly elections, has been renominated by the BJP. The CPI has fielded Nabendu Ghara, while the Congress has named Haradhan Mazumder as its candidate. The Left parties and the Congress, contesting separately, could split votes in this tightly fought segment.

During his campaign, Roy is drawing on the history and emotional connection of his royal heritage. He has claimed that he is receiving additional respect as a member of the historically significant dynasty. He has been campaigning extensively, going door to door seeking support from voters.

"I have experience in running an administration and I will utilise it if I win. Emotions among local people are running high as I have been fielded as a candidate. I am 100 per cent confident that I will win from Tamluk," Roy said.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC's Saumen Kumar Mahapatra retained the seat, defeating BJP's Harekrishna Bera by a narrow margin of 793 votes, making it one of the closest contests in the state. The BJP strengthened its position in Tamluk after the 2019 parliamentary polls, overtaking the Left Front as the principal rival to the Trinamool Congress. The party had then trailed the TMC by 6,548 votes, before securing a lead of 20,461 votes from this segment in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Adhikari family's allegiance has undoubtedly consolidated the BJP's support base in parts of East Midnapore. While the BJP is seeking to capitalise on this factor, the TMC is relying on its organisational strength and the state government's development schemes.

Incidentally, an "influential" TMC leader from Tamluk and former Panchayat Samiti president, Dibakar Jana, recently joined the BJP. Local TMC leaders alleged that Jana had been in touch with Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari. They claimed that his departure would ultimately benefit the party, suggesting that it could have otherwise led to sabotage in the upcoming polls.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.