West Bengal assembly elections 2026: Maid contests from Burdwan, households left without help

The polling for West Bengal Assembly elections will end today, with counting due on May 4. Among the hundreds of candidates in the fray is 37-year-old domestic worker Kalita Majhi, a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Ausgram, whose absence has left the households she worked in for over two decades struggling to manage, reports TOI.

For the family of Platilal Patra, Majhi is more than an employee. Patra told TOI, she is treated like a daughter and addresses him as “Baba.” He added that her daily routine of working from 7 am to 11 am or later had become essential to the household, and her absence has disrupted their daily life.

Patra said Majhi continued her duties even after being declared a candidate, balancing household work with campaign responsibilities. However, the family eventually asked her to focus on campaigning. Though she initially insisted on continuing, she later arranged for a substitute worker. Despite this, the family said they are finding it difficult to adjust.


Patra’s daughter Priyanka said Majhi used to take care of her child, and now she and her mother have taken over those responsibilities. She added that her mother, who is unwell, feels unsettled without Majhi’s support, though the family is managing. Priyanka expressed hope that Majhi would win the election.

Majhi is known in the locality for her work ethic. Another employer, Tapas De, described her as honest, reliable and hardworking. Before entering the election fray, Majhi said she worked in two households, earning ₹4,500 per month. She said she would wake up at 5 am to begin her daily tasks, with her mother-in-law helping manage cooking at home.

She added that her son Partha, who recently appeared for Higher Secondary examinations, assisted her in the campaign. She also relied on her election agent Chandranath Bandyopadhyay. Majhi said her employers have assured her that they will pay her salary for the month even though she is not working.

Majhi is the youngest among seven sisters and got married in 2006, after which she began working as a domestic help. She said her brother-in-law, Kartick Bag, was a CPM MLA from Ausgram in 2006, but she does not maintain contact with that side of the family.

Expressing confidence in her electoral prospects, Majhi said she wants to demonstrate that a domestic worker can also become an MLA. She said she learnt to sign her name with effort despite not attending school and added that, if elected, she would represent and speak for people from economically weaker backgrounds.

During her campaign, Majhi has focused on her party’s stance on anti-corruption and women’s empowerment.