New Delhi, February 11: The Moyna Assembly constituency, located in East Medinipur district of West Bengal, is a significant rural seat witnessing evolving political dynamics. It is one of seven assembly segments under the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat, comprising five gram panchayats from the Tamluk block along with the Moyna Community Development Block.
Established in 1951, Moyna has participated in all 17 assembly elections in West Bengal. In the early decades, leftist parties dominated, with CPI(M) winning six times and CPI five times, while Congress secured three victories. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) first won in 2011 when Bhushan Chandra Dolai defeated CPI(M)’s Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by 9,957 votes. Dolai retained the seat in 2016, winning against Congress’s Manik Bhattacharya by 12,124 votes.
However, a significant shift occurred in 2021. BJP candidate Ashok Dinda, a former Indian cricketer, won the seat by a narrow margin of 1,260 votes against TMC’s Sangram Kumar Dolui. The BJP had previously garnered only 2.59% of the votes in 2011 and 3.24% in 2016, but in 2021, the party established a strong foothold.
At the Lok Sabha level, trends in Moyna are equally intriguing. In the Tamluk constituency, TMC outperformed CPI(M) by 16,912 votes in 2009 and by 39,803 votes in 2014. The BJP’s vote share increased from 1.53% in 2009 and 4.64% in 2014 to 42.70% in 2019. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP led TMC by 9,948 votes, indicating the party’s growing influence in the region.
In 2024, Moyna had a total of 268,091 voters, a significant rise from 196,999 in 2011. Voter turnout has consistently been high, with 90.67% in 2011, 87.40% in 2016, and 88.09% in 2021. The Lok Sabha turnout was slightly lower, recorded at 85.16% in 2019 and 84.04% in 2024.
Demographically, Scheduled Castes constitute the largest group at 22.15%, followed by Muslims at 11.10%. The constituency is predominantly rural, with approximately 95% of voters residing in villages and only about 5% in urban areas.
Moyna’s history is linked to the Moynagarh Fort, located near the ancient Tamralipta port. The fort, surrounded by a circular moat, hills, and dense forests, posed challenges for invaders. Local traditions connect it to King Lousen of Dharmamangala and the 16th-century Bahu-Balindra royal family, who established their capital here and defended against the Bengal Sultans. Remnants of the fort, temples, shrines, and moats still echo Moyna’s glorious past.
Geographically, Moyna is situated in the upper Ganga-Jamuna plains and the eastern coastal delta, with rivers like Haldi, Rupnarayan, Rasulpur, Bagui, and Keleghai flowing through it. The fertile land primarily supports rice cultivation, along with pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables. Tidal floods and cyclones are common, but embankments and canals provide assistance. Fish farming is a vital part of the local economy, offering employment to thousands.
Moyna is well-connected by road and rail, located 17 km east of Tamluk and 19 km north of Kolaghat. Kolkata is approximately 90-96 km away, with Panchkura 13 km, Haldia 46 km, and Kharagpur 51 km distant.
The upcoming elections are poised to see a direct contest between the BJP, which has strengthened its position since 2021, and the TMC, which aims to reclaim the seat.
