With campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal’s Assembly elections in full swing, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s Bidhannagar candidate and state Cabinet minister Sujit Bose’s canvassing was interrupted on Thursday by a summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged illegal appointments across multiple municipal bodies since 2014.The sitting Bidhannagar MLA since 2009, Bose’s chances of a fifth consecutive term have been dented not only by the ED investigation, but also discontent among a section of voters over various civic problems in the constituency.AdvertisementA planned city on the outskirts of Kolkata, Bidhannagar falls under the North 24 Parganas district and was named after former chief minister late Bidhan Chandra Roy. The constituency was created following the 2008 delimitation exercise in the state.Known earlier as the Belgachia East constituency, the Bidhannagar area was once considered a stronghold of the CPI(M), represented by former state transport minister Subhash Chakraborty for several consecutive terms from 1977 until his death in 2009. After Chakraborty’s demise, the TMC made inroads in Bidhannagar with Sujit Bose, who won the subsequent by-election in 2009.While Bose enjoys a strong support base in Bidhannagar, the Opposition candidates are not leaving any stones unturned, focusing in particular on civic issues, from roads in disrepair to uncollected garbage to waterlogging.AdvertisementNirmala Sinha, a Bidhannagar resident, says, “We have been living here since the early 1980s. Previously, the roads used to be clean, municipal workers would come and sweep the streets weekly. But now, in the past 10 years, there has been a drastic deterioration. Streets are filled with potholes. In the slightest rain, waters enter our homes, even as garbage is dumped everywhere.”Another local resident, Moloy Sinha, says, “This was a planned city but now everywhere there is illegal construction going on and no one intervenes. Playgrounds are meant for children but councillors take them over for their own melas, roads have become narrow as everyone has three to four cars parked outside.”Though Bose intensified his local outreach in Bidhannagar after the elections were announced, several locals question his accessibility, saying he is only seen during poll campaigns or official programmes. “We see him only in melas or pujas sponsored by him or during elections, and apart from that never. He may have done some development in Lake Town (a locality in east Kolkata), but not much has been done for the rest of Bidhannagar,” says a resident.However, a resident of the Duttabad slum area on the outskirts of Bidhannagar, Shuili Das, says, “Dada (Sujit Bose) is always there. Any problem and it is sorted out. He was there beside us during the Covid pandemic.”Some residents of Lake Town say there have been a lot of developments in the area, including the ghats there that have been cleaned, and that Bose is “always available”.Speaking to The Indian Express, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, a TMC leader, said, “Sujit Bose will win for the fifth time again. He is always there for the people.”you may likeThis time, the BJP has fielded Sharadwat Mukherjee, while the CPI(M) has fielded Soumyajit Raha, a lawyer, and the Congress Ranajit Mukherjee in Bidhannagar. These Opposition candidates are focusing their campaigns on corruption and civic issues against Bose.Speaking to The Indian Express, BJP candidate Mukherjee says, “On May 4, we will all know what the people’s choice is. The BMC, which actually stands for ‘Bidhannagar Municipal Corruption’, is a corrupt organisation. Bidhannagar is in an awful situation. We plan to have health centres and reopen government schools. His (Bose’s) development is limited to a clock tower and a statue of Messi.”The CPI(M)’s Raha says, “My concern is better roads, no more waterlogging, proper lighting on roads, safety and security of women, and benefits for senior citizens.”