Balarampur, Purulia Assembly constituency
# Balarampur, Purulia Assembly constituency

There is a vidhan sabha seat by the same name in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well.

Balarampur Assembly constituency is an assembly constituency in Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an open seat from 2011 but earlier was reserved for scheduled tribes.

## Overview

As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No. 239 Balarampur Assembly constituency is composed of the following: Balarampur community development block; Chakaltore, Dimdiha, Durku, Garafusra, Lagda and Sonaijuri gram panchayats of Purulia I community development block; and 3. Chatu Hansa, Hensla and Puara gram panchayats of Arsa community development block.

Balarampur Assembly constituency is part of No. 35 Purulia (Lok Sabha constituency).

The West Bengal political scenario has changed dramatically over the years. In the early years after independence it was a scene of fluctuating fortunes between the Congress and the Left wing parties, till the latter captured power in the late seventies. The United News of India in a candid analysis says, “The green surge swept Bengal to demolish the red bastion in 2011 Assembly elections… Moreover, as the Left still remained cornered in state politics, their neutralised voters are increasingly migrating to the BJP for a viable alternative.”

## Members of Legislative Assembly

| Election Year | Constituency | Name of M.L.A. | Party Affiliation |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1951 | Barabazar Cum Chandil | Bhim Chandra Mahato and Atul Chandra Singh Bhuiya | Lok Sewak Sangh |
| 1957 | Balarampur | Bhim Chandra Mahato | Independent (Lok Sewak Sangh) |
| 1962 | | Padak Mahata | Lok Sewak Sangh |
| 1967 | | Gobardhan Majhi | Independent (Lok Sewak Sangh) |
| 1969 | | Gobardhan Majhi | Lok Sewak Sangh |
| 1971 | | Bikram Tudu | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 1972 | | Rup Singh Majhi | Indian National Congress |
| 1977 | | Bikram Tudu | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 1982 | | Bikram Tudu | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 1987 | | Bikram Tudu | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 1991 | | Bhandu Majhi | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 1996 | | Bhandu Majhi | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 2001 | | Bhandu Majhi | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 2006 | | Bhandu Majhi | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 2011 | | Santiram Mahato | All India Trinamool Congress |
| 2016 | | Santiram Mahato | All India Trinamool Congress |
| 2021 | | Baneswar Mahato | Bharatiya Janata Party |

## Election results

### 2021

West Bengal assembly elections, 2021: Balarampur :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | BJP | Baneswar Mahato | 89,521 | 45.22 |
| | AITC | Santiram Mahato | 89,098 | 45.01 |
| | INC | Uttam Kumar Bandopadhyay | 16,783 | 7.72 |
| | API | Sitaram Hansda | 2,153 | 1.09 |
| | SUCI(C) | Dipak Kumar | 1,793 | 0.91 |
| | Independent | Aswini Singh Sardar | 1,478 | 0.75 |
| | BSP | Anadi Tudu | 1,416 | 0.72 |
| | Bharateeya Manabadhikar Party | Subhas Mahato | 1,170 | 0.59 |
| | NOTA | None of the above | 2,441 | 1.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 197,965 | |
| | BJP gain from AITC | BJP gain from AITC | Swing | |

### 2016

2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election: Balarampur :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | AITC | Santiram Mahato | 82,086 | 47.02 |
| | INC | Jagadish Mahato | 71,882 | 41.17 |
| | BJP | Subhas Das | 8,940 | 5.12 |
| | Independent | Bimal Kanta Mahanty | 2,870 | 1.64 |
| | BSP | Bharati Mudi | 1,860 | 1.07 |
| | JDP | Anil Chandra Mandi | 1,449 | 0.89 |
| | Independent | Monbodh Mahato | 930 | 0.53 |
| | AJSU | Lal Mohan Mahato | 894 | 0.51 |
| | SUCI(C) | Dipak Kumar | 805 | 0.46 |
| | NOTA | None of the above | 2,868 | 1.65 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 174,594 | 83.46 |
| | AITC hold | AITC hold | Swing | |

### 2011

West Bengal assembly elections, 2011: Balarampur :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | AITC | Santiram Mahato | 65,244 | 45.79 | +7.84# |
| | CPI(M) | Manindra Gope | 54,716 | 38.40 | -17.13 |
| | Independent | Uttam Banerjee | 9,529 | 6.69 | |
| | BJP | Batulal Mahato | 3,528 | 2.48 | |
| | JDP | Shambhu Nath Hembram | 2,897 | | |
| | JMM | Pradipta Mahato | 1,721 | | |
| | AJSU | Sukanta Mahato | 1,605 | | |
| | JVM(P) | Nandalal Mahato | 1,519 | | |
| | Independent | Tahir Hussen Ansary | 932 | | |
| | IPFB | Mrityunjoy Mahato | 793 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 142,484 | 81.41 | |
| | AITC gain from CPI(M) | AITC gain from CPI(M) | Swing | 24.97# | |

Uttam Banerjee, contesting as an independent candidate, was a rebel Congress candidate.

.# Swing calculated on Congress+Trinamool Congress vote percentages taken together in 2006.

### 1977-2006

In the 2006, 2001, 1996 and 1991 state assembly elections Bhandu Majhi of CPI(M) won the Balarampur assembly seat defeating his nearest rivals Barjuram Ram Singh Sardar of Trinamool Congress, Lambodar Mandi of Trinamool Congress, Dulali Mandi of Congress, and Subhas Mudi of Congress respectively. Contests in most years were multi cornered but only winners and runners are being mentioned. Bikram Tudu of CPI(M) defeated Rasik Chandra Majhi of Congress in 1987, and Rup Singh Majhi of Congress in 1982 and 1977.

### 1957-1972

Rup Singh Majhi of Congress won in 1972. Bikram Tudu of CPI(M) won in 1971. Gobardhan Majhi of Lok Sewak Sangh/ Independent won in 1969 and 1967. Padak Mahata of LSS won in 1962. Bhim Chandra Mahato, Independent, won in 1957. Prior to that the Balarampur seat was not there.

