South Kolkata is one of the safest seats for Trinamul Congress where the party’s only concern is to increase the margin of victory of Mala Roy, who has been nominated for the third consecutive time.

Elections in this constituency will be held on 1 June.

In 2019 Mrs Roy won the seat by 1.55 lakh votes. BJP has fielded Debashree Roy Chowdhury, who had been elected from Raigunj in 2019 Lok Sabha election. CPM’s nominee is Saira Shah Halim.

All the seven constituencies that fall under Kolkata South seat are under Trinamul Congress’s control. The Assembly seats are Kasba, Behala Purba, Behala Paschim, Kolkata Port, Rashbehari, Ballugunge and Bhawanipur. Miss Mamata Banerjee was elected from the by-election in 2021 from Bhawanipur. South Kolkata is called the fort of Trinamul Congress.

In 1952, it was known as the Calcutta South East constituency and Shyamaprasad Mookerjee was elected from the seat.

In 1967, Ganesh Ghosh, the famous freedom fighter associated with Chittagong Arm Revolt was elected from the seat which came to be known as South Kolkata constituency. Priyaranjan Das Munshi and Bhola Sen were elected from the seat.

In 1991, Mamata Banerjee was elected from the seat and since then it is a Congress and later Trinamul Congress stronghold.

CPM leaders who got defeated from the seat included Biplab Das Gupta, Prasanta Sur, Bharati Mukherjee, Prof Subhankar Chakraborty who was the principal of Asutosh College, Ritabrata Banerjee and Nandini Mukherjee. CPM has changed the face of the candidates in every Lok Sabha poll, but failed to create any dent.

It is to be seen who stands distant second and third, namely BJP or CPM.

So far as BJP is concerned, it does not have any organizational base in south Kolkata. Mrs Debashree Roy Chowdhury is not a local resident and will take at least five years to understand the area. BJP has virtually given up the battle.

The visibility of CPM is more during the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Most of the local committee offices, once the powerhouse of the party, are closed. Majority of the old timers have retired from politics and the party has failed to attract new faces. Most of the street corner meetings and road shows are flop and the party leaders find it difficult to answer questions raised by the people like if the party is a part of INDIA bloc, then why is there this fight. Also, many people are asking why the CPM has formed electoral alliance with Congress its long time enemy.

It seems that the CPM will put up a fight and secure the second position. Political experts said in many seats, CPM will get the second position. Mrs Halim is confident of doing well. “People are fed up with the corruption of the state government and the young brigade want a change,” she said.

Mala Roy is confident of her victory. “We have worked throughout the year and I feel that my lead will go up. Didi has taken part in road shows and political meetings which have an impact on the electorate. Abhishek Banerjee had held meetings with the leaders to increase the margin,” she maintained.

Debashree Roy Chowdhury saw the Modi wave and said, “Wherever I am going people have welcomed me. We are confident to do well in the election,” she maintained.