By Admin 
- People are angry due to lack of education and employment, but the direction is unclear.
West Bengal Assembly Polls 2026: The noise of the first round of elections has subsided and now the first phase of voting is to be held on 23rd. Amidst the hustle and bustle of West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, the border district South Dinajpur is going through a different kind of restlessness. Here, behind the election noise, a silent crisis seems to be deepening, the closure of the old and traditional library. This educational infrastructure is gradually being destroyed and the local people are considering it not only as administrative negligence but also as playing with the future.
The road from Balurghat to Hili testifies to this crisis. Many government libraries standing on the roadside are now imprisoned behind closed doors and rusty locks. Where once students were engrossed in books, there is now silence. A local elder says, ‘This library remains closed throughout the year. Earlier we used to study by taking books from here. A young student says, ‘I didn’t even know this was a library.’
This is not the story of just one or two places. Most of the 57 libraries spread across the district are either closed or running in very poor condition. Local social worker Suraj Das says, ‘There was a fear of the library being closed for the last 10-15 years. Now the situation is such that there is a severe shortage of staff in about 90 percent of the libraries. At many places only temporary employees are handling the work.
Deep crisis related to education
The local educated class believes that this is not just the dilapidation of buildings but also the beginning of socio-cultural decline. These libraries were never just centers of books, they were places of dialogue, thought and society building. Now their extinction can affect the intellectual development of an entire generation. In a border district like South Dinajpur, where there is already a shortage of resources, the importance of the library increases, but in the current situation this basic structure itself seems to be dying.
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The electoral field: a direct contest, many layers
Politically this district is witnessing a very interesting contest this time. The main fight is believed to be between Trinamool Congress and BJP, but Congress and Left parties are also trying to regain their lost base.
In the 2021 assembly elections, out of total 6 seats, 3 seats went to TMC and 3 seats to BJP. TMC had won Kushmandi, Kumarganj and Harirampur, while BJP had captured Balurghat, Tapan and Gangarampur. Even in the 2024 elections, both the parties were successful in saving their respective strongholds, but this time the equation seems to be changing.
BJP’s attack: ‘Completely failed government’
District BJP President Surjeet Choudhary accuses the government that the condition of health services is bad, the highway project is stuck due to land acquisition and the education system is continuously weakening. Trinamool has completely failed in South Dinajpur. The condition of the library itself tells what the priorities of the government are. BJP claims that it will perform better this time compared to 2021 and 2024 and will strengthen its hold in the district.
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Trinamool’s answer: ‘Political agenda’
TMC accepts this issue, but opposes presenting it as an election weapon. Arpita Ghosh, candidate from Balurghat, believes that there is resentment among the people, but steps will be taken in future to remove it. He said, ‘Ever since BJP came second in Bengal, it is trying to change the traditions here. This is dangerous. Balurghat had its own identity, which is now changing.
Arpita Ghosh claims that there is dissatisfaction among the public regarding social issues like caste division and external interference, which can go against the BJP.
Ground truth: There is resentment, but the direction is unclear
Talking on the ground, it is clear that the resentment among the people is especially regarding education, employment and infrastructure, but it is not yet clear in which political direction this resentment will go. A college student says, ‘We need a library, we need jobs. Leaders come, make promises, but nothing changes. A local businessman says, ‘Investment is not coming here. The youth are going out. In the elections, we will vote only for the one who will do something concrete.
Big question of South Dinajpur
This time the elections in South Dinajpur are not just a fight for seats. This is becoming an election that decides the direction of development model, education system and social structure. There are a total of six assembly constituencies in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal and all of them fall in Balurghat Lok Sabha. These include Kushmandi (SC), Kumarganj, Balurghat, Tapan (ST), Gangarampur (SC) and Harirampur. All these assembly constituencies are considered important for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
(Report: Deepak Ghosh)
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