West Bengal Assembly election 2021, Bhagabanpur profile: TMC's Ardhendu Maity won seat in past two elections

The Bhagabanpur Assembly/Vidhan Sabha constituency lies in the Purba Medinipur district. It is a part of the Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly election, the constituency had a total of 2,05,331 registered voters. As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, Bhagabanpur constituency is composed of Bhagabanpur, Kajlagarh, Kotbarh and Shimulia gram panchayats of Bhagabanpur I community development block, Arjunnagar, Basudevberia, Baroj, Itaberia, Jukhia, Mugberia and Radhapur gram panchayats of Bhagabanpur II community development block, and Argoyal and Mathura gram panchayats of Patashpur II community development block. Voter turnout in previous election The voter turnout in Kanthi Uttar in the previous Assembly election was 88.26 percent. Past election results and winners In the 2016 Assembly polls, Ardhendu Maity of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) was declared the winner from the constituency. He secured 1,11,201 votes as against 79,258 votes won by his closest opponent Hemangshu Shekhar Mahapatra of the Congress. In 2011 as well, the TMC retained the seat. The ruling party had fielded Maity against Ranajit Manna of the Samajwadi Party (SP). Manna was the runner-up and lost the electoral battle by a margin of 8,997 votes or 4.90 percent. On 26 February, the Election Commission announced the schedule for Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The voting will begin on 27 March, with Bengal having the maximum eight phases continuing till 29 April, the poll body had said. At least 294 members Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will be elected in the upcoming polls. The state is held by the AITC with an absolute majority, with Mamata Banerjee on her second consecutive term as chief minister. The ruling party is fighting a pitched battle with archrival BJP, while the Congress-led alliance is also a key player in the fray.