The bypolls are pivotal for TMC and BJP, amidst rising public dissatisfaction.
New Delhi: The stage is set in West Bengal for the upcoming bypolls, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that voting will take place on November 13, alongside the first phase of Jharkhand’s Assembly elections. The results will be declared on November 23, coinciding with the outcomes of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. Both, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have begun their preparations for a fierce battle across the six Assembly seats up for bypolls.
These bypolls in West Bengal have drawn national attention, largely due to recent high-profile incidents in the state. The elections are particularly significant for both, the TMC and BJP in the wake of the tragic rape and murder of a PGT junior doctor from R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, making the stakes higher than ever.
The Election Commission has announced that bypolls will be held in six Assembly constituencies in West Bengal: Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Madarihat in Alipurduar district, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Medinipur in West Midnapore district, and Taldangra in Bankura district. These bypolls are taking place because the former MLAs from these constituencies contested and won in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Of the six seats, five were won by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one by the BJP in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Manoj Tigga, the former BJP legislator from Madarihat and chief whip of the party’s legislative wing in the West Bengal Assembly, vacated his seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from the Alipurduar constituency. Similarly, former TMC MLA from Sitai, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, is now the Lok Sabha MP from Cooch Behar, leaving his Assembly seat vacant. Partha Bhowmick, another TMC leader, won the Naihati Assembly seat in 2021 but was elected to the Lok Sabha from Barrackpore this year. In Haroa, the late Haji Nurul Islam, a TMC MLA, was elected as the Lok Sabha MP from Basirhat. Actress-turned-politician June Malia, who won the Medinipur Assembly seat in 2021, is now the MP from the Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency. Finally, Arup Chakraborty, a former TMC MLA from Taldangra, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bankura in the 2024 elections.
A political analyst with in-depth knowledge of Bengal’s political landscape said that the upcoming bypolls in West Bengal are expected to be highly significant and closely watched. The key factor, according to the analyst, is the increasing public dissatisfaction with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This discontent has been particularly fuelled by Banerjee’s perceived inaction following the high-profile rape and murder of a PGT junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident has become a major flashpoint, sparking widespread outrage, especially concerning women’s safety in the state. Critics argue that the tragedy has sent a damaging signal—that even under a female chief minister, the government has failed to provide adequate protection for women. Banerjee’s hesitancy or failure to take decisive action against those responsible has deepened these concerns, raising doubts about her administration’s commitment to addressing violence against women. This situation presents an opportunity for BJP.
The analyst suggested that BJP could leverage the public’s frustration and dissatisfaction with the TMC to its advantage in the bypolls. Having positioned itself as a strong alternative to TMC in recent years, BJP could frame the ruling government as ineffective in ensuring safety and justice, particularly for women.
This growing resentment may translate into electoral gains for the BJP, with the analyst predicting that the party could win three to four of the six Assembly seats being contested. Analysts added that these bypolls are likely to be a litmus test for Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and the TMC’s popularity among voters, while also providing insight into the BJP’s ability to gain traction and make significant inroads in the state. The results could potentially reshape the political landscape in West Bengal ahead of future elections.