3 min readKolkataUpdated: Mar 30, 2026 08:54 AM IST
Majhi, who works as a maid in two houses and earns Rs 4,000 a month, has taken a month off from work to focus on election campaigning and reach out to people in the constituency. (Express Photo, enhanced with AI)
Kalita Majhi is back on the campaigning trail after five years. Active in politics for more than a decade, Majhi, a house help, has been fielded by the BJP again from Aushgram Assembly seat in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district for the Assembly election this year.
Majhi works as a house help in two houses and earns Rs 4,000 a month. She has taken a month off from work to focus on election campaigning.
“I never imagined that I would get this opportunity again. The party has shown faith in me, and this is a very big responsibility. Right now, my focus is on the campaign. My employers have told me to go and campaign and emerge victorious this time,” Majhi told The Indian Express over the phone while campaigning.
In the last Assembly polls, she lost to TMC’s Abedanand Thandar by less than 12,000 votes. She had polled 88,577 votes to Thandar’s 1,00,392 tally.
The party hopes Majhi’s socio-economic background will help people identify with her.
“My family and neighbours are hopeful that I will usher in development if I win. There are a lot of issues here: roads, drinking water, a proper roof over our heads, work… Once we come into power, I would like to introduce central government schemes here. There has been no development here, and the residents are deprived of central government schemes,” she said.
She believes that being a house help has made her understand the basic issues of the common man and the sufferings of the poor families in the constituency. Majhi said her main focus was on building a hospital to help people in her village who travel all the way to Bardhaman town to access medical facilities. Other issues like infrastructure development and employment opportunities are on the list as well.
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People still have no electricity in many villages, and Majhi plans to install solar panels there. “Each of us has the right to a secure roof over our head. I will introduce the PM’s housing scheme and build homes and toilets,” she said.
For Majhi, women’s safety is also very important. “See what happened to our doctor sister in RG Kar…. Not a single woman is safe in the state ruled by a woman CM. There is a complete collapse of law and order, so we must ensure women’s safety and make sure the culprits get punished,” she said.
Majhi, a resident of Majhpukur Pari, lives with her husband Subrata Majhi, a plumber. The couple has a son, who has appeared for the Class 12 exams this year. “The education system has been hit by corruption. The condition of government schools is bad. I will focus on schools also, as they shape the future generations. I will also look into the issues of farmers,” she added.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
