Murshidabad, March 1 (IANS). Trinamool Congress has been dominant in West Bengal for a long time and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in power since 2011, but Murshidabad assembly constituency is still a challenge for her. The political history here is witness that the public never gave Trinamool Congress a chance to win in Murshidabad. Presently this seat is in the possession of BJP.
Murshidabad is an assembly constituency located in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. As per the orders of the Delimitation Commission, serial number 64 Murshidabad assembly constituency comprises Murshidabad municipality, Jiaganj Azimganj municipality and Murshidabad Jiaganj community development block. Murshidabad assembly constituency is part of 11 Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency).
Murshidabad used to be the capital of Bengal during the reign of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan. Before the arrival of the British, the city of Murshidabad was the capital of Bengal. It has special significance in Indian history, because the British defeated Siraj-ud-Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, after which the entire country came under British colonial rule. Even after the British conquered Bengal, Murshidabad remained the center of administration for some time.
The city still preserves the memories of the Nawabs, including mosques, tombs and gardens. Industries like ivory carving, gold-silver embroidery and silk weaving still exist here. Historically important sites include Nizamat Fort (Fort of Nawabs), also known as Hazarduari Palace, Moti Lake, Moradbag Palace, Katra Mosque, Nizamat Imambara, Madina Mosque and Nashipur Palace. Murshidabad today is a center of agriculture, handicrafts and sericulture.
Talking about politics, Murshidabad assembly seat has been present since 1951. In the 17 elections held so far, reverse trends have often been seen in the politics here, where instead of the ruling party, the opposition parties have been victorious. In particular, the Congress Party has been dominant, which won here six times from 1951 to 1972. In 1962, an independent candidate had won. Apart from Congress, Left Front and Forward Bloc have also achieved electoral success here. Recently in 2021, BJP made its presence felt while Trinamool Congress could never win here, despite the seat having made its mark in Muslim dominated areas in the state.
–IANS
DCH/VC