New Delhi, April 7 (NationPress) Since the Trinamool Congress took charge in 2011, it has progressively fortified its position, beginning with 184 seats, increasing to 211 in 2016, and finally amassing 215 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Murshidabad, a district that has been in the news for protests that have turned violent at times, is notable for having the highest number of names purged from the voters’ registry as of Tuesday. This district highlights how the ruling party in the state effectively established its dominance, particularly following the 2021 Assembly elections.

In the last state elections, the Trinamool Congress achieved victory in 15 out of the 22 Assembly constituencies in Murshidabad, winning all but two, which were taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

One of these two constituencies is Baharampur, which the Congress had won in both 2011 and 2016 before the BJP took it over in 2021.

A similar outcome occurred in the Murshidabad Assembly constituency, where the BJP triumphed over the Congress in 2021.

According to data from the 2011 Census, the demographic breakdown in the sub-divisions of the district (Community Development Blocks) revealed that Muslims and Hindus in Berhampore made up 53.63% and 45.94%, respectively.

For Murshidabad-Jiaganj, the figures were 54.52% for Muslims and 44.61% for Hindus, although many other sub-divisions showed a significantly higher percentage of the Muslim population.

The Trinamool government's pro-minority approach and its targeted welfare initiatives are believed to be key factors in their sweeping victories in all but two Assembly seats in Murshidabad.

The 2011 Census indicated that Hindus comprised 33.21%, while Muslims accounted for 66.27%, with Christians at 0.25% and the remainder consisting of other groups, making up a total district population of 7,103,807.

Muslim communities were primarily located along the Padma River bordering Bangladesh, while Hindus were more prevalent in urban settings.

During the 2021 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress secured its first wins in Bhagwangola, Nabagram, Domkal, and Jalangi, defeating sitting MLAs from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

In additional constituencies such as Farakka, Suti, Lalgola, Raninagar, Khargram, Burwan, Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, and Nowda, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party successfully ousted incumbent Congress MLAs.

Despite having faced a decline after losing to the Left Front in the 1977 Assembly elections, the Congress maintained considerable influence in the district, largely due to the efforts of Adhir Ranjan Choudhury.

The former Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha (2019–2024) earned acclaim for his philanthropic initiatives, acquiring nicknames such as “Robin Hood of Murshidabad” and “Nawab of Murshidabad.”

His robust opposition to both the Left Front and later the Trinamool government has become legendary in the region.

Choudhury is recognized for his impassioned speeches and his capability to rally local support, which has become synonymous with the Congress’s resilience in the state.

He embarked on his political journey in 1996 as a Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly representing Nabagram.

Additionally, he served as a representative for the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency five consecutive times in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. His ongoing victories solidified Baharampur as one of the few Congress strongholds in West Bengal.

However, in 2024, Choudhury faced a defeat in Baharampur against former cricketer and Trinamool Congress candidate Yusuf Pathan, ending a remarkable 25-year winning streak. This loss was a significant blow, both personally and for the state Congress. He has re-entered Assembly politics in 2026, vying for the Berhampore Assembly seat in this month's elections.

Among the other two Parliamentary constituencies in Murshidabad district is Jangipur, which sent Pranab Mukherjee (2004 and 2009) and his son Abhijit Mukherjee (2011 bye-election and 2014 polls) to the Lok Sabha, both from the Congress party. This constituency has since been taken over by the Trinamool Congress in 2019 and retained in 2024.

In the Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress transferred power to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 2014. However, from 2019 onwards, the seat has been held by the ruling Trinamool Congress for two consecutive terms.

The Assembly elections in Murshidabad district are scheduled for the first phase on April 23, with another round of voting in West Bengal on April 29. The results are anticipated to be announced on May 4.