Congress leader Rahul Gandhi chose Malda district to kickstart his party’s campaign before the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, aiming to regain lost ground in an area where its influence has waned over the past decade. Malda holds significance for the Congress, once a stronghold, now witnessing political shifts. The party is banking on the legacy of Abu Barkat Ghani Khan Choudhury, fondly known as “Barkatda,” whose impact continues even two decades after his passing.
Malda residents still revere Barkatda for his generosity, with local folklore suggesting that nearly every family in the region has benefited directly from his support. He was known to personally intervene in local issues, secure employment opportunities, and arrange transportation for those in need. Leveraging his ministerial position, Barkatda brought central government projects to Malda, fostering development, creating jobs, and upgrading the district’s infrastructure, particularly focusing on educational institutions.
The demographic composition of Malda, as per the 2011 Census, reveals a Muslim majority of 51.27% and a Hindu population of 47.99%, making it the second-most Muslim-majority district in West Bengal after Murshidabad. The rural populace dominates at 86.42% in Malda, shaping its political landscape. The district has experienced political unrest in recent years, including incidents like the 2016 Kaliachak riots, electoral clashes in 2018 and 2021, and an attack on judicial officers in Mothabari, underscoring its strategic vulnerability and political volatility.
The former Malda Lok Sabha constituency was represented by Barkat Ghani Khan Choudhury for eight terms starting from 1980, even during the peak of Left influence, until his demise in 2006. Subsequently, the seat was held by his brother Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, who also served as a Union Minister of State in the Manmohan Singh government. Following the 2009 delimitation, the Congress has secured victories in both Maldaha Uttar and Dakshin seats, with Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury winning the latter in 2009, 2014, and 2019, succeeded by his son Isha Khan Choudhury in 2024.
In the Maldaha Uttar Lok Sabha constituency, Mausam Noor, Isha’s cousin, emerged victorious in 2009 and 2014 as a Congress candidate but lost to the BJP’s Khagen Murmu in 2019 under the Trinamool Congress banner. Noor, who recently rejoined the Congress after resigning from the Rajya Sabha, will now contest from the Malatipur Assembly segment against Trinamool’s sitting MLA Abdur Rahim Boxi. The upcoming election in Malda is anticipated to witness a multi-cornered contest involving various political parties, potentially affecting the distribution of votes, with polling scheduled for April 23 in Phase 1 and counting on May 4.
