In our series, covering profiles of key constituencies across States and Union Territories during the Lok Sabha elections, today we bring you a report on the Malda Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. Polling for two phases of General Elections has been completed in the State. In the third phase, polling in four seats will be held. Malda Uttar is one of the four constituencies. More from our correspondent:

Malda Uttar parliamentary constituency came into existence in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. Before that, there was only one constituency Malda. A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chaudhury famously known as ‘Barkat’ was last elected from the Malda constituency in the 2004 Lok Sabha election on Congress ticket. From the 2009 Lok Sabha election there came into existence Malda Uttar and Malda Dakshin constituencies.

Malda Uttar constituency consists of seven assembly segments. They are Habibpur, Malda, Gazole, Ratua, Chanchal, Malatipur and Harishchandrapur. Malda Uttar will go to poll on 7th May under the third phase of the election.

The sitting MP from Malda Uttar is Bharatiya Janata Party BJP’s Sh Khagen Murmu who defeated All India Trinamool Congress’s Mausam Noor by a margin of five per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Earlier Mausam Noor had won the seat in 2009 and 2014 from Congress’s ticket.

BJP has fielded Khagen Murmu again in Malda Uttar seat while All India Trinamool Congress has fielded former IPS officer Prasun Banerjee. Prasun Banerjee has resigned from his job as IG of Raiganj range. Congress has fielded Alam Mostaque. Five independent candidates are there in the Malda Uttar seat. A total of 15 candidates are contesting here.