Deep in South Kolkata, Behala Purba stands as a telling battleground where BJP is eroding TMC’s decade-long supremacy. This pivotal seat, part of Kolkata South LS and South 24 Parganas district, hosts 11 KMC wards and reflects Bengal’s intensifying bi-polar contest.
Historical arcs: 1951 origins, Left dominance—Forward Bloc ’52, CPI ’57-’62, CPI(M) nine times ’67-’06 (Congress ’72 blip). TMC’s power play from 2001, unbreakable since 2011: Chatterjee’s 48k win, 24k in 2016, Ratna’s 37k in 2021.
BJP’s phoenix rise: 2% to 11% to 33% in assembly polls. LS trends: 2019 TMC 44%-BJP 36%; 2024 TMC 45%-BJP 38%, others 14%.
Voter base: 314k total, SC 10%, Muslim 4%, urban heavy. Turnout slides to 69%. Economic pulse via retail, services on key roads, metro-rail access, vibrant bazaars. Education-health hubs shine; close to Joka, Taratala, Howrah.
BJP vows two-thirds sweep against TMC’s 14 years; Congress absence may splinter votes, amplifying BJP’s urban inroads.