Bardhaman Purba Lok Sabha constituency: Candidates for 2019 LS poll, past results, all updates

Bardhaman Purba is one of the SC-reserved Lok Sabha constituencies expected to see a close contest. It will be a repeat of 2014 when TMC's Sunil Kumar Mandal defeated CPI(M)'s Ishwar Kumar Das. The same candidates are in the fray for TMC and CPI(M), though another major player BJP has changed candidates and have fielded Paresh Chandra Das from Bardhaman Purba. Congress candidate Siddharth Majumder is also in contention. 

Sunil Mandal is well liked among the TMC cadres for being a low-key politician who doesn't get into any controversy, but looks to get work done. On the other hand, CPI(M) leadership is bullish about Ishwar Das' potential. In 2014, Sunil won by 1.14 lakh votes but in 2016 Assembly election, that lead virtually collapsed. In last year's Panchayat polls, the opposition couldn't make a dent though there were large-scale reports of a strongarm technique used by TMC workers. Opposition parties in the state believe that the silent voters who couldn't vote in the Panchayat polls will be key to determining the fate of Bardhaman Purba constituency. 

Raina, Jamalpur, Kalna, Memari, Purbasthali Dakshin, Purbasthali Uttar and Katwa are the assembly segments under Bardhaman Purab Lok Sabha constituency. Places like Raina and Memari have witnessed massive political unrest in the past when there were clashes between Left and TMC. Left still retains a fair bit of organisation and would like to give TMC a tough fight. BJP though is confident that with Left and Congress fast losing relevance, their voters will shift to lotus. Bardhaman Purba goes to polls on April 29.