‘Deeply religious’ Vijay Upadhyay is Trinamool’s ‘surprise pick’ in trading hub Jorasanko

KOLKATA:Trinamool has fielded twotime councillor Vijay Upadhyay from Jorasanko for the April 29 assembly election, replacing sitting MLA Vivek Gupta in one of Kolkata’s most closely watched constituencies.Party leaders called the move strategic, in a seat where BJP has made steady gains among the business community and sections of the Hindi-speaking electorate despite Trinamool winning Jorasanko thrice since 2011.Within the party, Upadhyay is regarded as a loyalist, acceptable across communities and a “deeply religious” figure, attributes leaders feel could help the party increase its appeal in a seat where identity, commerce and local networks hold sway.

“I am a deeply religious person, but not an extremist,” Upadhyay told the TOI .Four out of 11 wards in Jorasanko have a sizeable Muslim population, which the Trinamool is banking on.A councillor for 11 years, Upadhyay describes himself as a “loyal soldier” of the party and said the faith reposed in him by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee reflected his long association with the Trinamool leadership. Though he formally joined the party in 2010, Upadhyay was part of the Singur and Nandigram movements while representing Samajwadi Party.

“BJP has no issue except Hindutva. They want to divide people, but I will act as a bridge between communities in Jorasanko,” Upadhyay said.The political significance of Jorasanko has increased with SIR 2026, in which the constituency saw one of the highest voter deletions. Upadhyay dismissed concerns over the deletions, alleging that attempts to “harass” voters will backfire politically. He also reassured the constituency’s influential trader base.

“People can do business without any fear,” Upadhyay said.Even within BJP, Upadhyay’s candidature has drawn attention. A local BJP leader said Trinamool has “sprung a surprise” with the move. “Vijay ji is respected across political and social groups and knows the area very well. The opposition might struggle to target his personal image,” he said.BJP is yet to announce its candidate from Jorasanko. By choosing a familiar local face with a religious but moderate public image, Trinamool is betting that Upadhyay can blunt BJP’s appeal among sections of the trader and Hindi-speaking vote while holding together the coalition that has kept Jorasanko in its fold since 2011. “This time, Trinamool will register its biggest win in Jorasanko,” Upadhyay said.