Mega battle in ‘Mini India’: Who Kharagpur Sadar will choose today

On the other side, the former Municipality Chairman Pradip Sarkar is branding himself as the “ghorer chhele” (son of the soil). Sarkar had previously flipped the seat for the TMC in the 2019 by-election, with a 23,000-vote margin after BJP’s Ghosh vacated it for Parliament.

While poll watchers are keeping a close eye on the seat, the charm of West Bengal’s ‘Mini India’ is overshadowed by local woes for the voters.

In the bustling stretch of College More, hotelier Madan Rana is predicting a return of BJP. “Here chances are high for the BJP as they have a strong support, and Dilip Ghosh is a known face,” he said.

But Nandini Das, an elderly woman living in a shanty nearby, cares not for the renowned faces; her only worry is her struggle for basic amenities.

“I have asked the Councillor to install a tap in our lane over a hundred times, but to no use. Every day, we have to cross the road to fetch water in heavy drums from the other side,” she laments, adding that her daughters don’t have any jobs despite graduating.

For some voters, praise for the incumbent TMC comes with bits of skepticism. A young woman Kakuli Das said, “Didi has done development and beautification, but there is no cleanliness anywhere, no jobs, no industries; hence other parties should also get a chance.”

The Telugu community migrated here ages ago for railway jobs; they remain the primary deciding factor across at least six wards. V Mohan Rao, a septuagenarian from the community shares that while they have made Kharagpur their “permanent home”, political anxiety remains high due to the recent electoral roll revisions.

After the revision, over 62,000 names have been deleted from the electoral rolls here – a move that has sparked concerns among minorities, a local resident Sher Ali Khan shared.

For another local Md Aman, the TMC candidate is ideal as he is more “accessible” to the voters. “Pradip Sarkar is a man who is available 24×7. He has built bus stops, roads and toilets. Dilip Ghosh is a known face, but he speaks controversial things,” he claimed.

For Haider Ali, who is predicting a tight margin, environment is a key issue. He said: “Pollution is a big issue here, there are many industrial plants which emit polluted air. As for the elections, even if there is a margin of 4,000–5,000, it is the TMC that will win.”

As the town inches closer to the D-Day, the nine candidates in fray — including those from the Congress, the CPIM, and several independents — are gearing up. The final verdict for this “Mini India” will be revealed when the counting concludes on May 4, 2026.

Speaking to The Indian Express, BJP’s Dilip Ghosh said: “In Kharagpur, over 62,000 voters have been deleted, which is more than 25%. Most of those were either dead, or from other states like UP, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, who had double voting [registrations]. Some people who used to live in railway quarters and then built houses elsewhere were also deleted as they were registered in both places. Some genuine voters were deleted too, but because many of these were used for false voting; the TMC won’t be able to do that anymore. This will be an advantage for us.”

Campaigning for Sarkar in Kharagpur on April 21, TMC heavy-weight Abhishek Banerjee challenged the BJP to present a report card of the work done during Ghosh’s tenure and compare that with Sarkar’s tenure. Banerjee said: “Give 5 years to Pradip. Whether the Railways allows us to work or not, we will ensure that Kharagpur transforms with development. The youth will teach Dilip Ghosh a lesson. The government is like a tenant, but the BJP is starting to think of itself as the owner. Earlier, people used to choose the government, but now the BJP is deciding who will be allowed to vote.”

He added: “Last year, Pradip called me and informed me that the Railways was forcefully trying to evict people… I told him I would join the protest here, if needed. I give you my word, if Pradip Sarkar wins with a margin of 25,000 votes, I will personally look into solving all your problems.”