Jhargram, located in the western part of Paschim Medinipur, is traditionally a Trinamool Congress stronghold but the BJP with its 2019 Lok Sabha win has emerged as a serious challenger for the ruling party, which is banking heavily on the sitting legislator Birbaha Hansda, a popular face in the area owing to her acting career, for a win.

Jhargram has witnessed a saffron surge since the 2018 state panchayat polls. Not only Jhargram, the BJP has made inroads in the entire Jangalmahal area in Bengal. Jangalmahal is a locally used term for the tribal-dominated areas in the districts of Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram parts of Bankura and Birbhum, that was once a hotbed of the Maoist movement.

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The ruling Trinamool although had won the Jhargram Assembly seat in 2016, but the BJP has significantly reduced the margin between the winner and the runner up as majority of tribals in the region voted en masse for the BJP that was almost a non-player in the state till about 2014. Jhargram has about 30% tribal population, compared with the state’s average of six. Moreover, there are indications that the BJP is getting increasingly close to certain tribal organisations, powerful in certain pockets. In the 2019 general elections, BJP won 18 and TMC bagged 22 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. With an almost 40% vote share, the BJP saw a significant increase from the previous time.

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To counterbalance the BJP, the TMC has chosen its tried and tested candidate – Birbaha Hansda, the daughter of late Naren Hansda, former MLA and founder of the Jharkhand Party (Naren). BJP has fielded Sukhmoy Satpati, who has been accused of luring people with money during the election campaigning.

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Issues in Jhargram

Jhargram, with its dense sal, segun and mahua forests, picturesque villages and wildlife and has seen some surge in its tourism but it still is among the underdeveloped regions of the state. The alleged corruption in the state has upset the tribals of Jhargram and nearby districts. Loopholes in the implementation of the government schemes, infighting among the ranks in the ruling party has led to the steady growth of the BJP. The saffron party is betting big on this tribal belt. All star campaigners of the BJP including Home Minister Amit Shah and Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty, who recently joined the party, held big meetings and roadshows in the region, giving the people in this remote corner a hope of “Sonar Bangla”.

Jhargram Vidhan Sabha constituency is in the Jhargram district of West Bengal. As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, Jhargram includes Jhargram municipality, Bandhgora, Manikpara, Radhanagar and Sapdhara gram panchayats of Jhargram community development block and Binpur I community development block. It is part of the Jhargram Lok Sabha constituency.

West Bengal will vote in eight rounds before results on May 2.