With public discontent on the rise, the by-elections are crucial for the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
New Delhi: With the first phase of assembly elections in the state of Jharkhand, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that the elections will be held on November 13, setting the stage for the upcoming by-elections in West Bengal . The results will be announced on November 23 along with the results of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are gearing up for a tough fight in the six assembly constituencies that will be held by-elections.
These by-elections in West Bengal have attracted national attention, mainly due to the recent high-profile incidents in the state. These elections hold significance for both the TMC and the BJP after the tragic rape and murder of a PGT junior doctor from Kolkata's RG Garh Medical College and Hospital.
The Election Commission has announced that by-elections will be held in six constituencies of West Bengal: Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Madarihat in Alipurduar district, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Medinipur in West district Midnapore and Dalthangra in Bankura district. . These by-elections are being held while former MLAs from these constituencies contested and won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2021 assembly elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) won six seats and the BJP won five.
Manoj Dikka, former BJP legislator from Madarihat and chief of the party's legislative wing in the West Bengal Assembly, vacated his seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Alipurduar constituency. Similarly, Sita's former TMC MLA Jagadish Chandra Parma Basunia is now the Lok Sabha MP from Cooch Behar, whose assembly seat is 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 Harrowa, TMC MLA late Haji Noorul Islam was elected Lok Sabha MP from Basirhat. Actress-turned-politician June Malia, who won the Medinipur assembly seat in 2021, is now an MP from Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency. Finally, Arup Chakraborty, former TMC MLA from Dalthangra, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bankura in the 2024 elections.
A political analyst who has deep knowledge of the political landscape of Bengal said that the upcoming by-elections in West Bengal are expected to be very important and will be closely watched. According to the analyst, the main factor is growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This discontent was particularly fueled by Banerjee's inaction following the rape and murder of a junior PGT doctor at Calcutta's RG Garh Medical College and Hospital. The incident has become a major flashpoint and sparked widespread outrage, especially over the safety of women in the state. Critics argue that the tragedy has sent a damaging signal that the government has failed to provide adequate protection to women, even under a female chief minister. Banerjee's reluctance or inability to take firm action against those responsible has deepened these concerns, raising questions about her administration's commitment to addressing violence against women. This situation presents an opportunity for the BJP.
The analyst suggested that the BJP could take advantage of public frustration and discontent with the TMC in the by-elections. The BJP, which has positioned itself as a strong alternative to the TMC in recent years, may show that the ruling government is ineffective in ensuring security and justice, especially for women.
This growing discontent could turn into an electoral gain for the BJP as the party is likely to win three to four of the six contested constituencies, the analyst predicts. Analysts said the by-elections will be a litmus test of Mamata Banerjee's leadership and the TMC's popularity among voters, while also providing insight into the BJP's ability to gain ground and make significant inroads in the state. These results could change the political landscape ahead of future elections in West Bengal.
