The Trinamul Congress (TMC) candidate for Serampore Assembly, Tanmoy Ghosh, and the BJP candidate, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, began their election campaigns by offering prayers at the Mahesh Jagannath Temple, seeking the blessings of Lord Jagannath.
Mr Ghosh launched his campaign last Thursday evening in Wards 21 and 22 of the Serampore Municipality, while Mr Bhattacharya began his outreach on Friday morning.
Mr Ghosh, a new and relatively unknown face in the Serampore Assembly constituency, holds a PhD (JRF) from the department of electrical engineering at Jadavpur University and is a former project associate at WBUT. He joined the Trinamul Congress in 2021.
In contrast, Mr Bhattacharya has been associated with the BJP for 26 years and is a familiar figure in the constituency, having contested the Serampore Assembly seat in the 2009 by-election and again in 2016.
Speaking to the media, Mr Ghosh said his campaign would focus on highlighting the TMC’s stand against the BJP. He accused the BJP of distorting the ideology of Sanatan dharma for political gain and alleged that the Centre had deprived Bengal in multiple ways. He also criticised the BJP for politicising the RG Kar issue, stating that violence against women is a social evil, not a political matter.
Mr Bhattacharya, on the other hand, criticised the state government, alleging widespread corruption, poor governance, unemployment and a breakdown of law and order. He also accused the TMC of pursuing appeasement politics and creating social divisions, adding that people are seeking change.