The political temperature is rising in the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency of West Midnapore district, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) locked in a fierce electoral contest ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The constituency is witnessing a direct face-off between TMC candidate Pradeep Sarkar and BJP’s Dilip Ghosh, making it one of the most closely watched battles in the state.

Kharagpur Sadar has seen a series of electoral shifts in recent years. Sarkar had secured victory in the 2019 by-election, which was necessitated after Ghosh vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha. However, in the 2021 Assembly polls, BJP candidate Hiranmoy Chatterjee defeated Sarkar, wresting the seat from the TMC.

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Determined to stage a comeback, Sarkar is now campaigning aggressively, targeting Ghosh by portraying him as an “outsider” to the constituency. He has expressed confidence in regaining voter support and reclaiming the seat.

On the other hand, Dilip Ghosh has exuded strong confidence in both his personal prospects and the BJP’s performance across the state. He has pointed to what he describes as growing anti-incumbency sentiment against the TMC government.

Amid the high-decibel campaigning, local issues continue to dominate voter concerns. Residents highlight that despite Kharagpur being a key industrial hub and home to a major railway workshop, basic infrastructure remains inadequate, and visible development has been limited.

West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. The outcome in Kharagpur Sadar is expected to be a key indicator in the larger contest between the BJP and the ruling TMC.