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Veteran Congress person Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s run for the Berhampore Assembly spot successful West Bengal faced repeated disruptions by Trinamool Congress supporters implicit the weekend. On Sunday (April 5, 2026), protesters raised the Trinamool emblem and shouted slogans astatine the five-time erstwhile Congress MP until Central forces intervened to bring the concern nether control.
Assembly elections: Follow LIVE updates connected April 5, 2026
He faced absorption from the ruling party’s workers portion campaigning successful Berhampore municipality connected Saturday (April 4, 2026) arsenic well, but insisted that specified protests would not deter him from reaching retired to voters.
“We are conducting our predetermination run programmes each day. All programmes are being carried retired with the support and cognition of the Election Commission, yet the miscreants of the Trinamool are repeatedly trying to obstruct them. We volition not halt — we volition bash it this evening too, and time arsenic well,” Mr. Chowdhury had said connected Saturday (April 4, 2026).
This Assembly predetermination is simply a prestige combat for the Congress leader. Until a fewer years ago, his power was felt crossed Murshidabad district, and helium served arsenic the person of the enactment successful the Lok Sabha for 5 years, from 2014 to 2019. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, however, helium mislaid the Berhampore Lok Sabha spot to cricketer-turned-Trinamool person Yusuf Pathan, by a borderline of 70,000 votes.
Return to Congress roots
In the adjoining Malda territory arsenic well, Congress person Mausam Benazir Noor is posing a situation to the Trinamool Congress which she had discontinue astatine the opening of the year. Ms. Noor, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the TMC, has returned to her roots successful the Congress and is present contesting the Assembly predetermination from the Malatipur seat.
Ms. Noor is the niece of erstwhile Union Minister and seasoned Congress person A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury, whose household inactive holds sway implicit Malda. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, her nephew Isha Khan Chowdhury was elected from Malda Dakshin seat, defeating some the Trinamool and the BJP.
‘Took everything and fled’
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has held 3 nationalist meetings successful Malda, targeted Ms. Noor connected Saturday (April 4, 2026).
“Since Malda doesn’t person an [All India Trinamool Congress] AITC typical , we sent a woman from Malda to the Rajya Sabha. She resigned a period ago. We gave her a Lok Sabha summons arsenic well. I person nary occupation with the information that she has joined different party, but you should not ballot for her party. People similar her took everything from AITC and fled erstwhile it was indispensable to fight,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson said.
Muslim-dominated districts
Though the spot of the Congress has been severely diminished implicit the past fewer years, the enactment remains a formidable unit successful its erstwhile bastions of Malda and Murshidabad. While Murshidabad, with its 22 Assembly seats, has a Muslim colonisation of 70%, Muslims marque up much than fractional the colonisation successful Malda, which sends 12 legislators to the State Assembly. In 2021, the TMC won 28 Assembly seats successful these 2 districts, portion the BJP won the remaining six.
Now, with Mr. Chowdhury and Ms. Noor seeking to revive the Congress’s electoral fortunes successful the region, the ruling enactment is facing the heat. Though the Congress has not entered into immoderate confederation with the Left Front this time, the enactment inactive has a sway implicit the region’s voters. Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party has besides fielded candidates successful the district, turning it into a multipolar contest.
