Kolkata: In Tollygunge, the electoral battle this time is being fought as much across party lines as across a canal.The Tolly Nullah, cutting through the constituency, has emerged as a political metaphor, with opposition parties alleging that development under Trinamool Congress (TMC) heavyweight Aroop Biswas has remained confined to one side — particularly the Bijoygarh flank along NSC Bose Road — leaving vast stretches neglected. A four-time MLA and the TMC candidate once again, Biswas, however, dismisses the allegations as he points to a long list of infrastructure upgrades.“We have converted dreaded alleys like Mundu Kata Goli into a walking street, built food parks at places that were once garbage-filled corners, improved roads, drainage and drinking water supply, and constructed 24 new bridges — most of them across the canal,” Biswas said at his Bijoygarh party office after a day of door-to-door outreach. “Those who claim I haven’t worked — my report card speaks for itself.”Framing his pitch around urban renewal, he cited the beautification of children’s parks, upgrades to Kudghat market and the Garia crematorium, and reiterated his ambition to turn Tollygunge into a “model constituency”. “People here love and bless me. Tollygunge still wants its own son,” he said.But the opposition narrative strikes a different chord.BJP candidate and actor Papiya Adhikari has mounted a sharp attack, focusing on civic distress in interior pockets like Netaji Nagar. “Roads are in bad condition and there is severe waterlogging. People still live under plastic sheets, in makeshift homes where water accumulates and even snakes enter,” she alleged, accusing Biswas of limiting his visits to main roads.Adhikari also raised concerns over alleged filling up of ponds for construction and the condition of Tollygunge’s film infrastructure.“Because of Biswas and his brother Swarup, the industry and artists are suffering. This is the place of Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak — who is Swarup Biswas? All the studios need to be fixed — their condition is very poor. Many senior directors and actors are being pushed aside, while people close to the TMC are getting work,” she said.Citing actor Rahul Banerjee’s death as a murder and not an accident, she also spoke of an unsafe working atmosphere in the Tolly industry.“Aroop Biswas is no longer a heavyweight — he has become lightweight. I am not a politician. I am a human being who believes things need to change, and I want to bring that change,” she said.The Left, too, has leaned into the “two Tollygunge” argument. CPI(M) candidate Partha Pratim Biswas, a Jadavpur University professor, said the divide is stark. “People are angry at TMC, which is reflected in rising voter turnout. But people have also seen what BJP does. In 2021, the BJP candidate here was Babul Supriyo. He lost, and within two years switched to TMC and became an MLA from Ballygunge. People don’t trust those who change sides so quickly,” said Biswas.Tollygunge, part of the Jadavpur LS constituency, spans seven KMC wards and includes areas like Regent Park, Bijoygarh, Naktala, Netajinagar and Bansdroni. Over the years, the area has undergone rapid urban transformation, with standalone homes giving way to high-rises, improved roads and upgraded lighting.Yet, its socio-economic diversity — from middle-class families and film professionals to slum clusters and migrant workers — continues to shape a complex electoral landscape. In 2021, Biswas defeated BJP’s Babul Supriyo by over 50,000 votes, securing more than 51% vote share.Adding to the churn is anxiety over roll revisions. Of the 2,63,756 voters before SIR, as many as 37,889 names have been deleted. This time, with the BJP fielding a fresh face and the Left banking on consolidation, the contest appears tighter in narrative, if not yet in numbers.
