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Lok Sabha 2019 constituency: West Bengal’s Raiganj was once a Congress stronghold
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: The Congress party held Raiganj, one of the 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, for 13 Lok Sabha terms before the CPI(M) wrested the seat from it.
The Congress party held Raiganj, one of the 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, for 13 Lok Sabha terms before the CPI(M) wrested the seat from it.
The Communist Party of India(Marxist) leader Md Salim defeated Congress Deepa Dasmunsi in the 2014 Lok Sabha election ending her two-term hold over Raiganj. Deepa Dasmunsi, the wife of late Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, had won in 2009 general election as well.
CPI(M) leader Subrata Mukherjee was the three-time member of Parliament before being defeated by Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi in 1999. Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi remained the MP from 1999 to 2009.
Read: Full coverage of Lok Sabha elections 2019
The Left party has fielded Mohd Salim from Raiganj once again and the ruling Trinamool Congress had nominated Kanaia Lal Agarwal for the seat.
Raiganj, known for its large bird sanctuary, will vote during the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 18. The counting of votes of the seven-phased polls will be held on May 23.
Here are some facts about Raiganj:
State: West Bengal
Name of the Lok Sabha constituency: Raiganj
Date of voting: April 18
2019 candidates: Mohd Salim (CPI-M), Kanaia Lal Agarwal (Trinamool), Deepa Dasmunsi (Congress), Debasree Chaudhuri (BJP)
Sitting MP, party: Md Salim, CPI(M)
Winning margin in 2014: 1,634
Runner up name, party: Deepa Dasmunsi, Congress
Number of voters in 2014: 1,108,193
Percentage of votes polled in 2014: 79.87%
Number of women voters in 2014: 663,512
Number of polling booths in 2014: 1,538
