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Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Returns to Bengal Polls After 30 Years, Evokes Childhood

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting the West Bengal Assembly election from Berhampore, marking his return to state politics after three decades. He is campaigning on his deep local roots, contrasting himself with rivals and criticizing unchecked urban development. Chowdhury attributes his recent Lok Sabha defeat to communal polarization, expressing confidence that voters will return to support him. The elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results declared on May 4.

Key Points: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Campaigns in Berhampore After 30 Years

  • Returns to state polls after 30 years
  • Faces BJP and TMC competition
  • Blames Lok Sabha loss on polarisation
  • Critiques urban "concrete jungles"
3 min read

"As a child, I played here...": Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury returns to assembly polls after 30 yrs, campaigns in Berhampore

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury contests Bengal assembly polls from Berhampore, leveraging his local roots against BJP and TMC rivals.

"As a child, I played here...": Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury returns to assembly polls after 30 yrs, campaigns in Berhampore
"As a child, I played here on these grounds. - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury"

Murshidabad, March 31

Senior Congress leader and Berhampore Assembly constituency candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday campaigned in Berhampore, Murshidabad, where he's the party's candidate for the upcoming State Assembly election.

Chowdhury, a five-time MP from Berhampore, is contesting the Assembly election after 30 years, aiming to revive the Congress party's presence in West Bengal. He's facing tough competition from BJP's Subrata Moitra and TMC's Naru Gopal Mukherjee.

Chowdhury is re-entering state politics after 30 years, contesting the West Bengal Assembly election from Berhampore. This move follows his defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Adhir, a five-time MP from Berhampore, previously won the Assembly election from Nabagram in 1996 but quit as an MLA in 1999 to pursue national politics.

Speaking with ANI, he highlighted a classic political strategy: the "Son of the Soil" narrative vs. urban development critiques.

By referencing his childhood on the local grounds, Chowdhury leveraged his deep-rooted history in Murshidabad to contrast himself with political rivals who may be framed as outsiders or disconnected from the local culture.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while speaking to ANI, said, "We will have to get out and meet people. Those are the rules of elections...As a child, I played here on these grounds."

Chowdhury also highlighted issues in Berhampore, stating, "Across the Berhampore city, concrete jungles are rising gradually. This is causing a lot of issues...A loot is going on. Everything is being taxed."

On Monday, Chowdhury expressed confidence in regaining public support in the upcoming elections, stating that people in the region have always trusted him.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Chowdhury said that his defeat in the last Lok Sabha elections was due to communal polarisation, and claimed that people later felt it was a mistake."It has never happened that the people here did not trust me. In the last Lok Sabha elections, due to communal polarisation, I did not get the votes I should have, and after my defeat, people here regretted that it was not right," he said.

Expressing optimism about the upcoming Assembly elections, he added, "This time, I will get support in the elections."

The Congress leader is contesting from the Berhampore Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district as political activity intensifies ahead of the polls.

West Bengal will hold polling for the elections in two phases, with the first phase scheduled on April 23 and the second phase on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.

As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covering 152 Assembly constituencies will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on March 30. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is April 6, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 7. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until April 9. Polling for the first phase will be held on April 23.

For the second phase, which covers 142 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification will be issued on April 2. The last date for filing nominations is April 9, and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 10. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 13. Voting for this phase is scheduled for April 29.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting move! He's a five-time MP, so he clearly has a base. But blaming the Lok Sabha loss solely on "communal polarisation" feels like avoiding introspection. Congress needs to offer a clear vision, not just nostalgia.
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Priya S
His point about "concrete jungles" and a "loot going on" resonates. So many of our cities are losing their character. Hope this election focuses on real issues like urban planning and local taxes, not just empty slogans. 🤞
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Rohit P
Tough fight with BJP and TMC. Congress is really struggling in Bengal. Adhir-da is experienced, but is that enough? People want development and jobs. Let's see if his local connect can overcome the national party's weak image here.
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Michael C
The strategy of leveraging deep local roots vs. "outsiders" is classic politics everywhere. It will be fascinating to see if this emotional appeal works in today's Bengal, which has seen massive political shifts.
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Kavya N
Wishing him all the best! We need strong voices in the assembly. But honestly, after quitting as MLA in 1999 for national politics, coming back now feels a bit like a fallback option after the LS defeat. Hope he's committed for the long haul.

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