Kolkata

Katwa in West Bengal has emerged as a closely watched assembly constituency, with agrarian distress and youth aspirations dominating the election discourse in the predominantly rural seat once considered a Left stronghold.

Katwa is one of seven assembly segments under the Bardhaman Purba Lok Sabha constituency. Around 65.4 per cent of voters live in rural areas, while Scheduled Castes account for 27.41 per cent of the electorate and Muslims about 21.8 per cent.

Historically, the constituency was a bastion of the Left, with the Communist Party of India winning twice and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) six times. Rabindranath Chatterjee later emerged as a dominant figure, winning for the Indian National Congress before joining the All India Trinamool Congress in 2016. He retained the seat in both 2016 and 2021.

This time, Chatterjee faces Krishna Ghosh of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Sanjib Das, though the contest is expected to be mainly between TMC and BJP.

The BJP has expanded its footprint in recent years, leading in the segment during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while TMC regained an advantage in 2024 with a lead of over 12,000 votes.

Katwa town, near the confluence of the Ajay River and Hooghly River, has historical importance dating back to the Mughal and Nawab eras, when it served as a gateway to Murshidabad.

Agriculture remains the backbone of the local economy, with paddy, jute and vegetables as key crops. Small-scale industries and trade supplement livelihoods.

Chatterjee said new engineering and medical colleges and improved connectivity show that the TMC government is fulfilling people’s aspirations despite what he termed non-cooperation from the Centre.

Countering him, BJP candidate Ghosh cited the SSC recruitment scam, unemployment and uncertainty over Teacher Eligibility Test exams as reasons for resentment among educated youth. She also criticised civic conditions such as clogged drains, garbage and poor roads.

Das of CPI(M) alleged people were returning to the Left after disillusionment with TMC, accusing it of corruption and intimidation, while also claiming voters rejected BJP’s aggressive Hindutva politics.

Among residents, frustration over jobs remains high. Priyanka Adhikari, a student at Hooghly Women's College, said she wanted a career in AI but lacked internship opportunities in her district or Kolkata.

Farmers also voiced distress over low prices for potato and paddy. Potato growers said rates of Rs 650-700 per quintal were too low to cover rising costs, while paddy farmers complained of delayed procurement forcing them to sell below MSP to middlemen.

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Pushan Mondal said he had to hand over half of his harvested paddy to a moneylender to repay debt, reflecting the deepening rural distress that now shapes Katwa’s political mood.