Bhoumik, a legislator from Naihati does not need to tweak his poll machinery too much. Grassroot and upper level organisation of his saffron camp rival is not what it used to be when Singh left TMC and joined BJP after the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced the list of candidates or Lok Sabha on March 10 and excluded the sitting MP.

Singh's support base was far better than that of Dinesh Trivedi in 2019 elections Singh f took a lead in Barrackpore, Jagaddal, Bhatpara, Naihati and Bijpur. While the then TMC sitting MP, Trivedi led only in Amdanga and Noapara.

But sources pointed out that such lead of Singh was owing to the organisational spadework of his nephew Sourav Singh at Bhatpara and BJP leader Manish Shukla at Titagarh. Living at Titagarh, Mukul Roy, then a senior BJP leader also wielded considerable influence.

All these factors had a cumulative effect on Singh's electoral success. In 2019 polls. A different story is likely to be scripted five years after. The situation has undergone a sea change. Manish Shukla was murdered in 2020 while Sourav Singh is Bhoumik's election agent. Roy is politically inactive now, though he is closer to the TMC. On the other hand, Bhoumik a legislator since 2011 is now a Cabinet minister and wields considerable influence in the constituency.

In 2019 Lok Sabha election marked by a big voter turnout, Arjun Singh narrowly beat TMC candidate and sitting MP, Dinesh Trivedi by 14,000 odd votes. The narrow victory margin is a pointer to the fact that the result could have gone either way. It is a quirk of fate that while Singh returned to TMC soon after ,Trivedi crossed over to BJP from TMC making himself a political non entity. The circle seems to have come full circle for Singh.

Electoral arithmetic too in 2024 polls is against Singh as six Assembly segments of this Lok Sabha constituency is represented by Trinamool legislators. Arjun's son Pawan Singh representing Bhatpara is the sole source of help to the BJP candidate.

Incidentally, Barrackpore was a CPI(M) stronghold and it's nominees had won nine times from it. The TMC nominee had won twice from this Lok Sabha while the BJP has registered a single victory in 2019 thanks to Singh. The domination o the CPI(M) over this industrial belt is nearly over. The CPI(M) candidate Debdoot Ghosh supported by the Congress has no impact on the electorate. Te contest is limited to the TMC and the BJP candidates.

An expanse of chimneys stretch from Barrackpore to Shyamnagar conveying a strange sight as smoke is emitted only from a few of them. The Empire Jute Mills is at work occasionally. Lumtex Cotton, Naihati Jute and Gouripore Jute are shut. So are Kakinada Paper Mills and Meghna Mills.

Apartment blocks and high-rises have come up on the land of Bengal Enamels, Bangalaxmi Cotton and Dunbar Jute Mills. Ichapur Rifles and Metal and Sheet have dwindling orders though being government concerns have been running with dwindling workforce. The joblessness worsened the law and order situation. But Singh did not do enough. Both the BJP and TMC have to share the responsibility.

Addressing a poll rally in the constituency recently, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that Arjun Singh crossed over to BJP and when he returned I thought he had changed his ways. I was mistaken, she added in a rare admission of a mistake. Singh's image has been tarnished by charges of scam involving development projects in Bhatpara municipality. The fallout of the these scams has impacted him as the accused is allegedly close to him.

For the voters of Barrackpore, the closure of the industrial units and lack of jobs for the youth are major issues, but as usual the issue has been turned into a slugfest between the BJP and the TMC. The people of the constituency who have lost jobs due to closure of units do not nurse any hopes that the situation will turn better for them after elections. (IPA Service)