Battle for Nandigram: Booth-wise data shows Trinamool dominance, but who was the architect?

The battle for Nandigram constituency between BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and TMC's Mamata Banerjee is raging. Booth-wise data suggests TMC historically has an edge, but it is yet to be established whether credit for that goes to ex-TMC member Adhikari or to Banerjee.

Come April 1 and West Bengal is set to witness the mother of all battles with incumbent chief minister Mamata Banerjee leaving her own seat to challenge former protégé and influential mass leader Suvendu Adhikari. The electoral outcome in Nandigram in East Medinipur district is expected to decide the future course of Bengal’s politics. Data shows the Trinamool Congress has been enjoying massive majority in this constituency since the 2009 Lok Sabha election. It received good share of votes here even in the 2006 assembly election, which was swept by the Left. However, the 2021 election will make it clear as to who’s responsible for the Trinamool’s dominance in Nandigram Mamata or Suvendu. The rise of saffron politics in Bengal makes this assembly election more interesting as both the Trinamool and BJP were neck-and-neck in the state, and in Medinipur division, except Tamluk and Kanthi Lok Sabha seats. Data suggests the Trinamool has been holding on to its vote share in Nandigram despite the rise of BJP. The votes gained by BJP in 2019 were actually on the expense of the Left.