In the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, a tight contest is expected between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Bhangar seat in the South 24 Parganas district.
The seat, secured by Nawsad Siddique of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in 2021, remains crucial for the TMC as it eyes its return in southern Bengal.
The ISF, formed in 2021, emerged victorious in the Bhangar seat, with Siddique becoming the only non-BJP opposition MLA.
Despite the Bhangar seat being the party's only victory in the 2021 elections, the ISF is hoping to return to the seat and improve its performance as it fields candidates for 33 seats.
The Bhangar assembly constituency has been a stronghold for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) until 2006, when the Trinamool Congress ended CPI(M)'s streak.
With voters now having another option, the ISF emerged victorious in the previous assembly election, defeating Trinamool’s Rezaul Karim by 26,151 votes.
The ISF was formed to increase the representation of minorities in Bengal, especially amid the political marginalisation of Muslims in the state.
The party's stated goals include the "upliftment of backward masses – Muslims, tribals and Dalits" and fighting for the "deceived, deprived and downtrodden" of Bengal”.
For the 2026 assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress has fielded Saokat Molla for the Bhangar seat, while the BJP has fielded Jayanta Gayen.
The recent special intensive revision (SIR) exercise is also expected to play a key role in the upcoming elections.
West Bengal will head to the polls in two phases, with voting taking place on April 23 and 29, and the vote count held on May 4.
