Jangalmahal is a local term used in West Bengal for the tribal dominated areas in the districts of Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram, parts of Bankura and Birbhum. These areas were once a hotbed of the Maoist movement. 

The tribal and Dalit dominated region accounts for 35 seats in the West Bengal State Assembly spread across the districts of Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and Jhargram. Of the 35 seats, 20 will vote in the first phase, while the rest 15 seats will vote in the second phase on April 1. 

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The Trinamool Congress and the BJP are in a tough battle for the assembly seats of Jangalmahal. Until 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Left used to win most of the seats from this area but Mamata Banerjee’s TMC swept all five parliamentary seats in 2014 General elections. 

In 2016 Assembly elections, the TMC won 31 out of 35 assembly seats cementing its position in the area. But, in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool Congress had to suffer from a massive shock after losing all the five seats to the BJP.

The West Bengal government has launched around a dozen of government cash schemes that collectively helps the people with Rs 6,000 monthly dole per family, with promises of giving Rs 12,000 per year if TMC gets elected. However, due to local-level corruption, not all of the money reached the beneficiaries, as the voters have alleged in the past. 

Mamata Banerjee’s TMC have even pitched in Chhatradhar Mahato, who was once the face of Maoist violence in the region, to reclaim the lost ground. He joined the TMC last year in July after spending 10 years in jail.

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Though the BJP’s Jhargram candidate Sukhomoy Satpaty took a dig at Didi, saying that the CM is taking the support of the same person who killed hundreds of people here. While, for the same seat, the TMC has chosen a Santhali actress Birbaha Hansda, who claims that the tribal population will teach the BJP a lesson, reports The Print. 

There are a lot of problems that people go through in this area, including acute water shortage, local-level corruption that stops them from benefitting from policies, poverty and lack of employment opportunities.

BJP has also gone all-in in the region with Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National president JP Nadda and other top-brass leaders who campaigned vigorously in the region, with the hopes to win maximum seats after the 2019 Lok Sabha election win. 

It will be interesting to see who wins the Jangalmahal region of West Bengal that holds 35 seats in the assembly and can be a decision maker for the high stakes elections of the state.