Kolkata, March 13: Uloopuria Lok Sabha constituency is a significant parliamentary area in Howrah district of West Bengal, known for its rich political history, cultural heritage, and economic activities. Established in 1952, Uloopuria comprises seven assembly seats: Uloopuria East, Uloopuria North (SC), Uloopuria South, Shyampur, Bagnan, Amta, and Udaynarayanpur. According to the 2011 census, the population here is approximately 2.05 million, with 69.55% urban and 30.45% rural residents. The Scheduled Caste population stands at 19.63%, while the Scheduled Tribe population is minimal at 0.15%. The 2017 voter list recorded around 1.54 million voters, with Bengali being the primary language, along with English and Urdu.
Howrah district is Kolkata’s twin city, and Uloopuria serves as its gateway. The area’s history spans over 500 years, linked to the ancient Bhurshut empire. In 1578, Venetian traveler Cesare Federici mentioned ‘Bator’, which is now the Bator area. During British rule, the East India Company established villages here. The Uloopuria-II block, covering 72.21 square kilometers, is semi-urban, housing jute mills and small industries, with 30% of the population dependent on agriculture. The area comprises eight gram panchayats, including Baniban, Basudevpur, and Jorgori. The literacy rate in 2011 was recorded at 78.05%.
Uloopuria is particularly known for its musical instrument cluster, spread across the villages of Dhulasimla, Rangmahal, Maikhali, and Dadpur. This cluster, which began post-independence, is now one of the largest in the country, producing instruments like sitars, sarods, guitars, and tanpuras, which are in demand both nationally and internationally due to their melodious sound and quality. This craftsmanship has been a part of the region’s cultural heritage for generations.
In terms of political history, the area was initially a stronghold of the Congress party, but in 1957, the Forward Bloc won here. The Communist Party (CPI-M) gained a strong foothold in the 1960s and 70s, with leaders like Hannan Mollah serving as MP from 1980 to 2004. In 2009, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) turned the tide, with Sultan Ahmed defeating CPI-M. Following Ahmed’s death in 2017, his wife, Sajda Ahmed, won the by-election.
In the 2019 elections, Sajda Ahmed secured victory with 694,945 votes, while BJP’s Joy Banerjee came second. In the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sajda Ahmed (TMC) is expected to maintain a strong position, having received 724,622 votes (52.10%), compared to BJP’s Arunoday Palchoudhury with 505,949 votes (36.38%) and Congress’s Azhar Mallik with 78,589 votes. TMC continues to hold a strong position in the area.
As of 2026, preparations for the assembly elections are in full swing. TMC has a history of consecutive wins in seats like Uloopuria East, North, and South, but BJP is posing a challenge. Recent reports indicate some controversial incidents during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in the Uloopuria block, leading to tensions over allegations of misuse of central agencies by political parties, with TMC staging statewide protests.