Ward 98 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has long stood as an outlier, an urban pocket that held on to the Left even as the rest of Bengal moved on.

Located in the Netaji Nagar area under the Tollygunge Assembly constituency in south Kolkata, the ward had consistently backed the Left Front in successive elections, even after the Trinamool swept to power in 2011.

That continuity was broken in the 2022 municipal polls, when Trinamool candidate Arup Chakraborty wrested control after a closely contested fight.

The Left regained a narrow edge in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading in the ward by a little over 250 votes.

The oscillation has turned Ward 98 into a closely watched battlegroun

Voters queued up outside Netaji Nagar Women's College in Ward 98 on Wednesday morning

At the grassroots level, Trinamool workers project confidence, banking on development and local leadership.

Arindam Ganguly, a Trinamool worker in Netaji Nagar, was unequivocal about the party’s prospects in the ward, attributing it to what he called visible development.

“We are confident that people will support Trinamool this time. The work carried out under Aroop Biswas is there for everyone to see,” he said, pointing to “improved” road conditions and the renovation of a local pond.

A former CPM worker who switched sides three years ago after over two decades with the Left, Ganguly alleged that internal practices within his former party alienated sections of its cadre. “There was a culture of intimidation. Even families of party workers were not spared,” he claimed.

Arindam Ganguly (left) and other TMC workers at their booth camp in Ward 98

Ganguly’s shift is not an isolated instance. Many segments of the Left’s traditional organisational base have either drifted towards the BJP or the Trinamool, weakening its grassroots machinery over successive election cycles.

Echoing similar views, Trinamool worker Salil Kumar Chakraborty asserted that the BJP lacks organisational presence in the ward. “Even when the Left secured leads here in the past, development did not follow. Trinamool has maintained a consistent presence among residents,” he said.

For the Left, however, Ward 98 remains rooted in a longer political memory. Indranil Basu, a local CPM leader, traces the party’s strength in the area to its social composition.

“Netaji Nagar is largely a refugee colony of families from East Bengal. The Left has historically enjoyed strong support here. Even after the end of 34 years of Left rule, we continued to receive sizeable margins,” he said.

Basu acknowledged that the political ground began to shift after 2016. “A narrative gradually took hold that only the BJP could defeat Trinamool. Some of our supporters were influenced by the ‘ebare Ram, pore Baam’ [this time Ram, next time Left] line,” he said.

A CPI(M) poster against alleged TMC-BJP nexus near Netaji Nagar more

Despite this, Basu maintained that the Left continues to position itself around governance and ideological issues. “From recruitment irregularities to unemployment and women’s safety, we have consistently raised our voice. At the same time, we oppose communal politics,” he said, expressing cautious optimism about a return of support.

At a modest booth camp, CPM worker Nantu Basak pointed to the steady outflow of younger cadres.

“Most of our young workers have had to leave the state in search of jobs. Even members of my own family. Opportunities here are limited, recruitment is scarce, and private sector wages are low,” he said.

Migration driven by limited employment opportunities has emerged as a recurring political issue across Bengal, feeding into both anti-incumbency narratives and broader socio-economic anxieties.

Basak, who comes from a refugee family, also pushed back against the BJP’s ideological appeal. “We came here because of religious tensions, but we never allowed that to shape our politics. We have strong ties across communities. Supporting the BJP is not an option for many here,” he said.

A CPIM booth camp in Ward 98

This reporter covered over 10 booths across Netaji Nagar but could not spot a single BJP booth camp. The party office near Masterda Surya Sen Metro Station was also closed.

For the incumbent councillor, the narrowing of margins itself signals change. Arup Chakraborty pointed out that earlier Left leads of 4,000 to 6,000 votes have sharply reduced. “In 2024, the lead came down to just 255 votes. That shows the direction in which people are moving. Trinamool will lead this ward and Left will take the second spot. BJP will come third,” he said.