West Bengal polls: In SIR-hit seat, old Congress hand another TMC hurdle

KOLKATA: The Chowringhee assembly constituency — which has already seen its voter base shrink from 2.1 lakh to 1.3 lakh due to the SIR — now braces for another political shift with four-time KMC councillor Santosh Pathak of ward 45 joining the BJP on Monday.

These back-to-back developments threaten to reshape political equations in central Kolkata, particularly among sections of the Hindi-speaking electorate and trade circles in the city's Central Business District.




Pathak, a veteran Congress face, was inducted into the BJP by state chief Samik Bhattacharya in the presence of other senior netas. His entry is seen as politically significant not merely because of the defection itself, but because of the local connections he has built over the years in one of the city's most politically and commercially sensitive zones.

There is speculation that he might be fielded from Chowringhee, where he contested in 2021 but was unable to win. "I have joined BJP to save Bengal from the loot. There has been no progress in the state in the last 15 years. Corruption has become the new normal under the present dispensation. I realized that I cannot continue fighting against this corruption and lawlessness while staying in Congress," said Pathak.

Many of Pathak's close aides, however, said the move was also driven by political survival. "It would have become difficult for him to win the civic polls later this year as a Congress candidate. Joining the BJP is also an attempt to guard his fief in ward 45," said a former close aide.

Pathak's decision to switch flanks comes at a crucial time. According to a Sabar Institute study: "In Chowringhee, of the 17,545 voters flagged under ‘logical discrepancy', 12,579 are Muslims. While 35.9% of deletions on the ‘absent, shifted, dead/duplicate' list are Muslims, they form 71.7% of those flagged under logical discrepancy. The deletions due to ASD broadly match the Muslim population share in Chowringhee, which is 40% as per the 2011 Census." Trinamool sources shared that there are currently about 14,700 voters under adjudication. While 74,553 voters were deleted from Chowringhee in the draft roll, an additional 2,569 voters were deleted in the final roll.

On speculation over whether he could be fielded again from Chowringhee — a seat he previously contested as a Congress candidate — Pathak was cautious. "I have no say. Whatever role the party gives, I will try to fulfil it with sincerity," he said.

"In Kolkata, where opposition politics is fragmented, Pathak's crossover could give the BJP a recognizable local face in the heart of the city and potentially reshape the contest for Hindi-speaking and trader votes in Chowringhee after SIR 2026," said a veteran Trinamool neta, who did not wish to be named.

Pathak appealed for a change in the state. "I am requesting with folded hands to everybody, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, to forget all differences and vote for change," said Pathak.

(Inputs from Dipawali Mitra)