Established in 1967, Patharpratima has participated in 14 elections. The seat was initially dominated by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), which won the first three elections during a period of political flux in West Bengal. The Congress party broke through in 1972 and again in 1996, interrupting the long run of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which won four consecutive terms between 1977 and 1991, and again in 2001 and 2006. The CPI(M)’s hold over the constituency began to weaken after 2006, paving the way for the rise of the Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool’s emergence in Patharpratima coincided with its statewide ascent in 2011. Samir Kumar Jana, contesting on a Trinamool ticket, defeated CPI(M)’s sitting MLA Jajneswar Das by 14,773 votes. Jana retained the seat in 2016, defeating Congress candidate Phanibhushan Giri by 13,793 votes. In 2021, he secured a third consecutive win, defeating BJP’s Asit Kumar Haldar by a margin of 22,134 votes.
While the Trinamool Congress has held the seat for three straight terms, the BJP has steadily grown in strength. From polling just 3,553 votes in 2011, its tally rose to 6,942 in 2016 and then surged to 98,047 votes in 2021, making it the principal challenger in the constituency. The Lok Sabha elections have mirrored this trend. In the Patharpratima Assembly segment, the BJP overtook both the CPI(M) and the Congress to secure second place in 2019 and 2024. The Trinamool Congress led over the BJP by 35,779 votes in 2019, a margin that narrowed to 25,172 votes in 2024.
Patharpratima had 263,675 registered voters in the 2021 Assembly elections, up from 252,463 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Scheduled Caste voters made up 22.95 per cent of the electorate, while Muslim voters accounted for 9.30 per cent. The constituency has consistently recorded high voter turnout, with 87.93 per cent in 2021 and 89.80 per cent in 2016.
The terrain of Patharpratima is low-lying and crisscrossed by tidal rivers and creeks. The Chhoto Banashyam, Gobardhanpur, and Ramganga rivers are among the many water bodies that shape the region’s geography. Embankments are critical to protecting lives and crops, but breaches are common, especially during cyclones and high tides. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy, though the saline soil limits crop diversity. Paddy is the principal crop, supplemented by jute, pulses and oilseeds. Pisciculture is a major source of livelihood, with thousands engaged in fish farming across the block’s brackish water bodies.
Despite a high literacy rate of 82.11 per cent, Patharpratima remains economically backwards. Nearly half the households, 49.13 per cent, were below the poverty line as per the Human Development Report for South 24 Parganas. Infrastructure is patchy. While all villages have electricity and most have access to drinking water, only a fraction have paved roads or reliable transport links. The nearest railway station is 44 km away, and ferry services remain a vital mode of transport.
Tourism in the Sundarbans has seen a rise in recent years, with destinations like Gangasagar, Bakkhali and Fraserganj attracting visitors. Gobardhanpur, located within the Patharpratima block, has been identified as a potential tourist hotspot. However, the benefits of tourism have yet to reach most residents, with limited employment opportunities and poor connectivity acting as barriers.
Historically, Patharpratima has been part of the larger Sundarbans region, which played a role in the Tebhaga movement and later in Operation Barga. The area has a legacy of peasant mobilisation and land reforms, though the gains have been uneven.
Patharpratima is located about 30 km from Kakdwip, which serves as the nearest major town and administrative centre. Namkhana lies roughly 35 km to the west and is known for its ferry terminal connecting to Sagar Island. Fraserganj and Bakkhali, both popular tourist destinations, are situated around 50 to 55 km away. Gangasagar, a prominent pilgrimage site, is approximately 60 km from Patharpratima. The district headquarters at Alipore is around 89 km to the north, while Kolkata, the state capital, is nearly 100 km away, accessible via road and ferry routes.
With the BJP’s steady rise and a predominantly Hindu population, the party will be keen to convert its growing support into a win in the 2026 Assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress, however, enters the contest with an edge, having held the seat for three consecutive terms. Unless the Left Front-Congress alliance manages to recover lost ground and disrupt the bipolar contest, the fight is likely to be between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with Patharpratima emerging as a key battleground in the southern reaches of the Sundarbans.
(Ajay Jha)
