With a long pending railway project, lack of development, scarce job opportunities and rampant infiltration and smuggling in the region, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has its task cut out in retaining the Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency in the face of formidable challenge from the BJP and the traditionally strong Left outfit, RSP.
The Balurghat Parliamentary constituency, close to the India-Bangladesh border, represents mostly the South Dinajpur district and has over a million electorates.
Of its seven Assembly segments - Kushmandi, Kumarganj, Balurghat, Tapan, Harirampur and Gangarampur - come under South Dinajpur, while Itahar is part of the neighbouring North Dinajpur district. The constituency votes in the third phase of Lok sabha elections on Tuesday.
The constituency was dominated by the Left parties, including the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), which won for 10 straight terms from here before finally losing out to Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Arpita Ghosh in 2014.