Big blow to Congress as Santosh Pathak joins BJP, likely to contest from Chowranghee

Veteran Congress councillor Santosh Pathak officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. Pathak, who represents Ward 45 in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), was inducted into the party by BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya. This move is seen as a strategic "shot in the arm" for the BJP in Central Kolkata, a region where they are looking to break the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) dominance.

Santosh Pathak is a formidable local leader and a four-time councillor who has successfully defended his ward despite the massive TMC waves in previous municipal elections. His departure marks another major setback for the Congress in the city, following the earlier exit of Ward 137 councillor Wasim Ansari to the TMC. Pathak’s grassroots influence in the Burrabazar and Central Kolkata areas makes him a high-value asset for the saffron party as they finalize their candidate list.

Sources within the BJP suggest that Pathak is likely to be fielded as the party's candidate for the high-profile Chowranghee Assembly seat. In the 2021 elections, Pathak contested this seat on a Congress ticket and secured 13% of the vote, while the BJP candidate bagged 22%. By bringing Pathak into their fold, the BJP hopes to consolidate the anti-TMC vote bank to challenge three-term MLA Nayna Bandopadhyay, who has once again been re-nominated by the ruling party.