West Bengal Assembly Polls: Aroop Biswas seeks 5th term in triangular fight in Tollygunj
Tollygunj Assembly constituency, for two decades the unchallenged political fortress of TMC heavyweight and cabinet minister Aroop Biswas, is heading into the polls amid its sharpest electoral contest in years, as SIR electoral rolls could helm the ship towards opposition.
ANI
Apr 19, 2026 04:06 IST
Tollygunj (West Bengal) [India], April 19 (ANI): Tollygunj Assembly constituency, for two decades the unchallenged political fortress of TMC heavyweight and cabinet minister Aroop Biswas, is heading into the polls amid its sharpest electoral contest in years, as SIR electoral rolls could helm the ship towards opposition.
Tollygunj Assembly constituency is set to see a triangular contest between four-time MLA and minister Aroop Biswas of the TMC, BJP's candidate actor Papiya Adhikari, and CPI(M) candidate Partha Pratim Biswas.
Aroop Biswas is an Indian politician who has served as minister for Power and Housing in the Government of West Bengal. He has been elected from Tollygunj in the 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.
His trajectory in the constituency began in 2006, when Biswas defeated Pankaj Banerjee, a prominent veteran leader, in what was widely seen as a major development. He has held it ever since.
In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly Elections, Biswas received 90,603 votes to defeat CPI(M)'s Madhuja Sen Roy, who received 80,707, a margin of under 10,000 votes that showed the Left was still capable of mounting a fight here.
The 2021 result was far more emphatic. Biswas received 1,01,440 votes to defeat BJP candidate Babul Supriyo, who received 51,360 votes.
However, the period between 2021 and 2026 has eroded some of that stature. In December 2025, Aroop Biswas resigned from his post as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs following criticism over alleged mismanagement of an event featuring Argentine footballer Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
The event witnessed logistical failures and crowd management issues, leading to public and political backlash. In his resignation letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Biswas stated that his decision was aimed at ensuring an "unbiased investigation" into the matter.
Whether Biswas's commanding position survives a campaign environment defined by voter roll deletions, the Messi controversy and a united opposition of AIADMK and BJP will be among the more closely watched verdicts.
West Bengal votes in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes on May 4. (ANI)
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