The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections has been one of the most electrifying elections in the country which saw five states going to polls. Falta constituency witnessed repolls but one high watched constituency battle is of Sonarpur Dakshin. The voting for this seat took place on April 29, and the results will be declared on May 4, along with the rest of the state.
This election sees a direct face-off between two well-known faces from the entertainment world, Roopa Ganguly of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Arundhuti Maitra of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). With both candidates having strong public recognition, the contest has become one of the most talked-about battles in the state.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Roopa Ganguly’s political journey and profile
Roopa Ganguly is not new to politics. She is an Indian actress, playback singer, and politician who joined the BJP in 2015. She later served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2022 and was also the President of the BJP Mahila Morcha in West Bengal.
In the 2026 elections, she is contesting from Sonarpur Dakshin. According to her election affidavit, she is a graduate and has listed her profession as a performing artist. As per reports, she has declared total assets of Rs 9.4 crore, with no liabilities, and an annual income of Rs 14.5 lakh. However, she has also declared five pending criminal cases, all of which are serious in nature.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Roopa Ganguly’s past performance and voter appeal
Roopa Ganguly has contested elections before. In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, she contested from Howrah Uttar but finished third. She secured 31,416 votes, which was about 23.33% vote share. She lost to TMC candidate and former cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla, while also trailing behind Congress candidate Santosh Kumar Pathak.
After that loss, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by then President Pranab Mukherjee in October 2016. In 2026, BJP has fielded her in Sonarpur Dakshin to bridge the gap from the last election and attract voters through her popularity. The party hopes she can consolidate the anti-incumbency vote, especially in urban areas.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Lovely Maitra’s profile and current position
Arundhuti Maitra, aka Lovely Maitra, is the current MLA in Sonarpur Dakshin and is a member of the TMC party. According to sources, she is 35 years old and has experience in acting, business and politics. She holds a degree and has previously disclosed her assets as amounting to Rs 4.1 crore with Rs 50 lakhs in liabilities. Her annual income is reported as Rs 62.1 lakh.
Unlike her opponent, she has declared no pending criminal cases. She won the seat in 2021 and is now seeking re-election in 2026. Her previous victory saw her secure 1,09,222 votes, which was 46.92% vote share, defeating BJP’s Anjana Basu.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Lovely Maitra’s track record and voter base
Sonarpur Dakshin has been a stronghold of the TMC for years. The party has won the last three elections here in 2011 and 2016 by Jiban Mukhopadhyay, and in 2021 by Lovely Maitra. In 2021, the seat saw around 80% voting, while in 2016 it recorded about 82% turnout.
Vote share trends also show TMC’s dominance. In 2021, TMC had 46.92% vote share, while BJP had 35.67%. In 2016, TMC had 47.8%, while CPI had 40.43%. Lovely Maitra is believed to have strong support among women voters, especially due to state welfare schemes.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Constituency profile and voting pattern
Sonarpur Dakshin is located in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. It has been a general category seat since 1962. As of 2026, there were approximately 288,107 registered voters in the constituency.
The high voter turnout rate at 92.6% during the 2026 elections is indicative of a high level of voter engagement and suggests a close contest. A combination of urban and semi-urban voters will also be important in determining the outcome.
Shonarpur Dakshin: High-voltage contest and tight predictions
The 2026 conflict in Sonarpur Dakshin is seen as a symbolic conflict for the BJP and TMC. The TMC has a strong affiliation through its organisation within this constituency, however, the BJP has chosen to use a high-profile candidate such as Roopa Ganguly to offset some of that advantage.
According to the exit polls, it looks like there will be a tie between the two political parties in South 24 Parganas. Some experts believe that Lovely Maitra will hold onto her seat due to the sustained support of female voters as well as government-provided welfare programs. Others believe that Roopa Ganguly will potentially unite the votes of those who are going to vote against TMC incumbents thereby creating a surprise upset.
Shonarpur Dakshin: Who will win the crucial battle?
The final outcome of the seat elected will be revealed on May 04 2026 as a result of a highly competitive race with heavy turnout. As of this writing, Sonarpur Dakshin is among the most scrutinized and uncertain Assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s elections.\
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
