Established in 1952, Uluberia comprises seven assembly seats: Uluberia East, Uluberia North (SC), Uluberia South, Shyampur, Bagnan, Amta, and Udaynarayanpur. According to the 2011 census, the population stands at approximately 2.05 million, with 69.55% urban and 30.45% rural residents. Scheduled Castes make up 19.63% of the population, while Scheduled Tribes are minimal at 0.15%. The 2017 voter list recorded about 1.54 million voters. Bengali is the primary language spoken, along with English and Urdu.

Howrah district is Kolkata’s twin city, and Uluberia 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 corresponds to today’s Bator area. During British rule, the East India Company established villages here. The Uluberia-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 region includes eight gram panchayats, such as Baniban, Basudevpur, and Jorgori. The literacy rate in 2011 was 78.05%.

A unique aspect of Uluberia is its musical instrument cluster, spread across Dhulasimla, Rangmahal, Maikhali, and Dadpur villages. This cluster, which began post-independence, is now one of the largest in the country. Instruments like sitars, sarods, guitars, and tanpuras are crafted here, renowned for their melodious sound and quality, making them sought after both nationally and internationally. This craftsmanship has been a cultural heritage passed down through generations.

Politically, Uluberia was initially a stronghold of the Congress party. However, in 1957, the Forward Bloc won here. The Communist Party (CPM) gained a strong foothold in the 1960s and 70s, with leaders like Hannan Mollah serving as MPs from 1980 to 2004. In 2009, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) turned the tide, with Sultan Ahmed defeating the CPM. Following Ahmed’s death in 2017, his wife, Sajda Ahmed, won the by-election.

In 2019, Sajda Ahmed won with a margin of 694,945 votes, while BJP’s Joy Banerjee came in second. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sajda Ahmed (TMC) secured another victory with 724,622 votes (52.10%), while BJP’s Arunoday Palchoudhary received 505,949 votes (36.38%), and Congress’s Azhar Mallik garnered 78,589 votes. The TMC remains dominant in the region.

As of 2026, preparations for the assembly elections are in full swing. TMC has a history of consecutive victories in Uluberia East, North, and South, but the BJP is posing a challenge. Recent reports indicate controversial incidents during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in the Uluberia block. Tensions have arisen over allegations of misuse of central agencies among political parties, prompting the TMC to stage statewide protests.

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