Madarihat Assembly sees lowest voter turnout amid BJP stronghold
The Assembly which is considered the BJP stronghold of the Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency, witnessed the lowest voter turnout in this election. Among the seven assemblies of the Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency, the Madarihat Assembly received the fewest votes, despite historically being a BJP stronghold. The voter turnout in Madarihat Assembly was recorded at 73.81 per cent.
Madarihat Assembly is renowned as a BJP stronghold, boasting 23 tea gardens within its constituency. However, currently, four of these tea gardens remain closed, with approximately several more plantations facing economic challenges.
Manoj Tigga, BJP MLA, secured victory in two consecutive Assembly elections in 2016 and 2021, largely due to the support from tea plantation workers who voted for the BJP. Additionally, migrant workers returned home to vote for the BJP during previous assembly and Lok Sabha elections. 79.46 per cent votes were polled in this seat in the 2021 Assembly elections as well.
The decline in voter turnout in Madarihat can be attributed to several factors, including the closure of tea gardens and the migration of workers to other states for employment.
Many active plantation workers have sought employment opportunities elsewhere, making it difficult for them to return home to vote. The cost of travel and the risk of losing wages further deterred workers from participating in the
electoral process. Rabin Rai, Central Committee General Secretary of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, criticised the BJP government for neglecting the welfare of tea workers and failing to reopen closed gardens. He stated: “Manoj Tigga, despite being an MLA, has not taken adequate steps to address the closure of gardens, leading to disillusionment among workers and a decline in BJP support.”
In response, Manoj Tigga, BJP candidate for the Alipurduar Parliamentary Constituency and the MLA of Madarihat Assembly, blamed the state government for its failure to revive the closed gardens, forcing workers to seek employment elsewhere to sustain their families.
The voter turnout in the remaining six Lok Sabha constituencies of Alipurduar — Alipurduar (81 per cent), Falakata (83.36 per cent), Kalchini (74.84 per cent), Kumargram (81.47 per cent), Nagrakata (75.67 per cent) and Tufanganj (87.04 per cent).