Rising through grassroots, Dipsita Dhar stands tall in West Bengal despite electoral losses | 5 facts about her

Dipsita Dhar is a student activist and leader in the CPI(M). She rose through protests and led COVID-19 relief via the Red Volunteer network.

Published on: Apr 27, 2026, 10:18:22 IST

By Aditi Anand

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Dipsita Dhar is an Indian politician and student activist associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a national leader of the Students' Federation of India. Born on 9 August 1993 in Howrah, West Bengal, she began her organisational journey through Kishore Bahini, a children’s group, and steadily rose through student politics to become the All-India Joint Secretary of SFI. Her academic background, including higher studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, shaped her engagement with issues of education, inequality, and youth rights.

Dipsita Dhar is contesting from the North Dum Dum Assembly constituency as a CPI(M) candidate. (PTI)

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She is known for combining political activism with grassroots work. From participating in large-scale protests in West Bengal to organising relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, her work reflects a focus on youth mobilisation, social justice, and public welfare. She has also entered electoral politics, contesting as a CPI(M) candidate in elections.

5 key facts about Dipsita Dhar

Dipsita Dhar played a crucial role in the Nabanna agitation, a major protest movement in West Bengal led by students and youth demanding employment opportunities and access to education. Her participation highlighted her focus on unemployment and systemic issues affecting young generation.
Dhar actively took part in protests following the murder of CPI(M) activist Maidul Islam Midda. Through this, she raised concerns about political violence and accountability, positioning herself within movements addressing democratic rights and safety of political workers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in organising the “Red Volunteer” network, a civic action group that provided essential services such as medicines, oxygen supply, home-cooked meals, and sanitary napkins. This initiative became widely recognised for filling critical gaps in public support systems.
She contested the Bally constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections against Rana Chatterjee and Baishali Dalmiya. Her campaign focused on issues like hunger, education as a fundamental right, and youth employment. Despite support from figures like Kafeel Khan and Rahul Banerjee, she lost by over 30,000 votes, securing around 16.2% vote share, but gained recognition as an emerging Left leader.
She contested the 2024 general elections from Serampore as a CPI(M) candidate in a triangular contest against Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) and Kabir Shankar Bose. The seat was won by Kalyan Banerjee, while Dhar finished behind both major rivals, securing over 2.3 lakh votes but losing the election.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditi Anand
Aditi Anand is an undergraduate student of English at Miranda House, University of Delhi, with an interest in media and the shifting dynamics of public discourse. She is particularly curious about how narratives are shaped, circulated, and received in contemporary spaces. Her work is informed by close observation and an engagement with everyday life, often examining the intersections of personal experience and broader social contexts. She is drawn to questions of voice, representation, and the ways in which perception is influenced by both language and environment. Beyond the newsroom, she is interested in literature and enjoys writing poetry, approaching it as a space for reflection and creative exploration alongside her analytical work. Her writing aims to balance clarity with nuance, focusing on presenting ideas in a way that is accessible while still engaging with their complexity. She approaches writing with intent and attentiveness, aiming to contribute meaningfully to conversations while continuing to develop a voice that is thoughtful and grounded.Read More

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