Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], March 31 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and Berhampore Assembly constituency candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday campaigned in Berhampore, Murshidabad, where he’s the party’s candidate for the upcoming State Assembly election.
Chowdhury, a five-time MP from Berhampore, is contesting the Assembly election after 30 years, aiming to revive the Congress party’s presence in West Bengal. He’s facing tough competition from BJP’s Subrata Moitra and TMC’s Naru Gopal Mukherjee.
Chowdhury is re-entering state politics after 30 years, contesting the West Bengal Assembly election from Berhampore. This move follows his defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Adhir, a five-time MP from Berhampore, previously won the Assembly election from Nabagram in 1996 but quit as an MLA in 1999 to pursue national politics.
Speaking with ANI, he highlighted a classic political strategy: the “Son of the Soil” narrative vs. urban development critiques.
By referencing his childhood on the local grounds, Chowdhury leveraged his deep-rooted history in Murshidabad to contrast himself with political rivals who may be framed as outsiders or disconnected from the local culture.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while speaking to ANI, said, “We will have to get out and meet people. Those are the rules of elections…As a child, I played here on these grounds.”
Chowdhury also highlighted issues in Berhampore, stating, “Across the Berhampore city, concrete jungles are rising gradually. This is causing a lot of issues…A loot is going on. Everything is being taxed.”
On Monday, Chowdhury expressed confidence in regaining public support in the upcoming elections, stating that people in the region have always trusted him.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Chowdhury said that his defeat in the last Lok Sabha elections was due to communal polarisation, and claimed that people later felt it was a mistake.”It has never happened that the people here did not trust me. In the last Lok Sabha elections, due to communal polarisation, I did not get the votes I should have, and after my defeat, people here regretted that it was not right,” he said.
Expressing optimism about the upcoming Assembly elections, he added, “This time, I will get support in the elections.”
The Congress leader is contesting from the Berhampore Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district as political activity intensifies ahead of the polls.
West Bengal will hold polling for the elections in two phases, with the first phase scheduled on April 23 and the second phase on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covering 152 Assembly constituencies will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on March 30. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is April 6, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 7. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until April 9. Polling for the first phase will be held on April 23.
For the second phase, which covers 142 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification will be issued on April 2. The last date for filing nominations is April 9, and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 10. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 13. Voting for this phase is scheduled for April 29. (ANI)