West Bengal bypolls on November 13 could alter political dynamics, amidst public dissatisfaction.
Kolkata: West Bengal is gearing up for an intense showdown between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as both parties ramp up their campaigns to attract voters. The bypolls are set for November 13. The election announcement comes at a challenging time for TMC, following a major setback due to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Meanwhile, BJP faces difficulties in capitalising on the strong anti-incumbency sentiment sweeping across West Bengal.
Bypolls are set to take place in six Assembly constituencies: Madarihat in Alipurduar district, Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas district, Taldangra in Bankura district, and Medinipur in Paschim Medinipur district. In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC secured five of these seats, with the exception of Madarihat, which went to BJP. The bypolls are being held due to the resignations of the sitting MLAs who won seats in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. The vote counting will take place on November 23, coinciding with the Assembly election results for Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
It has to be seen if the incident in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital affects voting pattern. Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted with senior officials from three renowned Kolkata football clubs voicing their support for Sanat Dey, the TMC candidate from Naihati, in the bypolls. The Leader of the Opposition, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari described it as a “brazen political endorsement.” Adhikari wrote to Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging him to look into the matter.
“I have written a letter to the Hon’ble Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, @mansukhmandviya ji, requesting an inquiry and appropriate action for this violation of the code of conduct,” Adhikari stated.
In his tweet, Adhikari added, “I believe that such a blatant political endorsement by individuals in key administrative roles within sporting clubs and governing bodies is an unfair tactic, associating the clubs’ names with the candidate. This is both, unsportsmanlike and a violation of the code of conduct for such institutions.”
Responding to Adhikari’s remarks, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh asked, “What is wrong with it? Sanat is a capable sports administrator, and his colleagues in the sports community have chosen to support him. Those criticising the politicisation of football should first look at instances where Mohun Bagan and East Bengal supporters were involved in the RG Kar protests.”
A political analyst said that the upcoming bypolls in West Bengal could be pivotal, given the growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling TMC under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This discontent has been fuelled by Banerjee’s perceived inaction, following the high-profile rape and murder of a PGT junior doctor in Kolkata. The analyst further noted that BJP, positioned as a viable alternative, could leverage this frustration by portraying TMC as ineffective on safety issues, potentially securing three to four of the six contested seats.