Her Own War Room and the Sympathy Factor: How Mahua Moitra Won the Krishnanagar Seat

Setting up her own election war room, her campaign management skills as well as smartly marketing the Mamata Banerjee government’s schemes for women helped TMC candidate Mahua Moitra win the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal by more than 57,000 votes.

With Moitra fielded again by the TMC, the Krishnanagar seat became a high-octane contest when the BJP decided to field ‘Rajmatha’ Amrita Roy against the former MP.

Moitra is known for her impassioned speeches and vocal opposition to the Narendra Modi government. A fiery orator, Moitra rose to national prominence during her time in Parliament for her compelling criticism of the BJP-led NDA government, but her removal from the Lok Sabha due to allegations in the cash-for-query scandal embroiled her in a controversy.

To consolidate the high percentage of Hindu votes in the constituency, BJP fielded Amrita Roy, the Rajmata of the Krishnanagar royal family, whose candidacy injected a tinge of royalty into the electoral fray.

Roy, married to the family of Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy, is revered as the “Rani Maa” or Queen Mother by the constituency, carrying a legacy rich in tradition and aristocracy, despite the family’s historical associations with the British in the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

While Mamata Banerjee campaigned for Moitra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned for Amrita Roy.

Moitra, who was MLA of Karimpur assembly constituency since 2016 and former TMC district president, had won the seat in 2019 by a margin of 63,218 and almost 45% vote share. Out of the seven assembly seats under this Lok Sabha constituency, BJP did well in Krishnanagar South, Krishnanagar North and Tehatta, but Moitra won thanks to four other Assembly segments — Palashipara, Nakashipara, Kaligunj and Chapra.

During the campaign this time, Moitra worked with her team on the ground and her war room kept in contact with each booth. Her campaign focussed on the state government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme and she started her campaign by asking voters whether they received the Lakshmir Bhandar assistance.

Interestingly, most voters in the constituency were unaware that Moitra had been expelled from Parliament so the controversy against her did not yield the results the BJP expected. Those who knew of the allegations against her claimed she was a victim of vendetta politics.

While Moitra consolidated the minority votes, BJP’s Amrita Roy, a political novice, failed to reach out to the people.