Kolkata’s Behala Purba assembly segment, a microcosm of West Bengal’s polarized politics, is sounding alarm bells for TMC as BJP’s vote share explodes. This general seat in Kolkata South parliamentary constituency, technically in South 24 Parganas, covers 11 municipal wards and embodies urban Bengal’s electoral flux.
Its legacy: Formed in 1951, early triumphs by Forward Bloc (1952) and CPI (1957-62). CPI(M)’s nine victories from 1967-2006 faced a 1972 Congress upset. TMC’s ascent began in 2001, peaking post-2011 with hat-trick wins—48k margin in 2011, 24k in 2016, 37k in 2021.
The BJP surge steals the spotlight: 1.91% (2011) → 10.71% (2016) → 33.15% (2021). National polls mirror it—2019: TMC 44% (89k) vs BJP 36% (73k); 2024: TMC 45% (97k) vs BJP 38% (82k), alliance 14%.
313k voters (10% SC, 4% Muslim), 90% urban, but apathy grows—turnout from 74% to 69%. Flat terrain, prime connectivity on Diamond Harbour Road, thriving small trade, bustling markets, top schools, hospitals. Nearby: Thakurpukur (4km), Aliport (9km).
With BJP targeting TMC’s long reign for a supermajority, no Congress in the fray risks vote division. Behala Purba’s trajectory signals broader shifts in Bengal’s urban politics.