TMC supremo and CM Mamata Banerjee ahead of filing her nomination from Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata on Wednesday. (Express photo by Partha Paul)The Trinamool Congress is expecting a tough contest in Kolkata, which has been its stronghold, now that voter rolls are almost finalised with the completion of the adjudication process.Data shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) Tuesday showed a decrease of 6,06,563 voters across the Kolkata North and Kolkata South districts. The gap between the votes received by the TMC and BJP in the last Assembly elections, in 2021, across the two districts, was 6,07,612.Kolkata South includes Bhabanipur, the constituency from which TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is re-contesting, apart from Kasba, Behala Purba, Behala Paschim, Kolkata Port, Rashbehari and Ballygunge.Kolkata North also has seven constituencies – Kashipur-Belgachhia, Maniktala, Shyampukur, Jorasanko, Beleghata, Entally and Chowrangee.Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) began, Kolkata South voter numbers have gone down by 2,47,882, almost 27%, while Kolkata North has seen deletions of 3,58,681 names, a fall of almost 24%.In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP had stunned its rivals by bagging 18 seats in Bengal (a surge from 3 in 2014), Kolkata South had been won by the TMC by a massive 1.55 lakh votes, and Kolkata North by 1.27 lakh votes.In the 2024 general elections, when the BJP retained its vote share in Bengal but its total seats fell from 18 to 12, the TMC’s victory margin from Kolkata South rose to 1.87 lakh votes. While it fell in Kolkata North, it was still a substantial 92,560 votes.Story continues below this adIn the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC had won all the 14 constituencies in Kolkata. The gap between it and the BJP in Kolkata South’s seven constituencies was 3.46 lakh votes, and in Kolkata North’s seven seats, it was 2.62 lakh votes. Seven of the 14 MLAs who won from Kolkata became ministers in the returning Mamata Banerjee government.Admitting that there was some worry in the party over the change in voter numbers in Kolkata after the SIR, despite there being no way of knowing which party would be hurt more, a senior TMC leader pointed out: “Even in the CM’s constituency, more than 50,000 votes have been deleted. In the 2021 bypoll, when she won from Bhabanipur, the gap between Mamata Banerjee and her rival was less than 50,000. The BJP was also ahead in many wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the 2024 elections.”The BJP had established leads in more than 40 of 144 wards in Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections of 2024, held months after the general elections. In Bhabanipur, the BJP had a lead in more than five out of the eight wards.The TMC leader added: “While our fight in Kolkata is not going to be easy, our party workers are working very hard to reach all the households in Kolkata. We are expecting that our margin of win may decrease, but we will win all the seats in Kolkata.”Story continues below this adCountering this, a senior BJP leader said: “We are very optimistic about good results in Kolkata this time, not only because of the voter deletions but because the TMC will not be able to do false polling and rigging.”Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd