Preparations for the upcoming by-elections in six assembly constituencies in West Bengal are in full swing, with all major political parties gearing up. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), the BJP, and the CPI(M) have each announced their candidates for the November 13 polls.
By-elections were made necessary after sitting MLAs from the six constituencies, Sitai (SC), Madarihat (ST), Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, and Taldangra, were elected to the Parliament in this year’s general elections.
Bypolls: A quick look at six assembly seats in #WestBengal https://t.co/mw5MO1hJ50
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In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the TMC secured five out of the six seats, while the BJP emerged victorious in the reserved constituency of Madarihat. In 2021, the Left Front and Congress were in an alliance, but this time they have decided to go alone.
Let’s take a look at who is up against in whom.
BJP's list of candidates for Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls in Kerala, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal.#BJP #byelections #bypolls pic.twitter.com/0rVIJssV0Q
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Sitai (SC): Trinamool’s Jagadish Chandra Basunia, now serving as the MP from Cooch Behar, had won this seat in the 2021 elections with more than 49 per cent of the vote. For the by-election, the TMC has fielded his wife, Sangita Roy, who is making her debut in the assembly elections.
Her primary rival will be BJP's Dipak Kumar Roy, who also contested against Basunia in 2021 in this constituency in North Bengal’s Cooch Behar district. The Left, meanwhile, has selected Arun Kumar Barma of the All India Forward Bloc as their candidate.
Madarihat (ST): In the 2021 elections, Manoj Tigga of the BJP successfully held onto this seat before being elected to the Parliament from Alipurduars in 2024. For the by-election, the BJP has nominated Rahul Lohar, a young candidate. Notably, Lohar was previously a student leader with the Left before joining the BJP.
His attempt to retain this seat in Alipurduar district for his party will be contested by Jayprakash Toppo of the TMC, a well-known local leader. In Madarihat, the Left Front has chosen Padam Oraon of the RSP as their candidate.
Medinipur: Trinamool’s June Maliah had won this assembly segment in 2021 before she was elected as an MP in 2024. This time the TMC has nominated Sujay Hazra, the party’s Paschim Medinipur district unit president.
There had been speculation that the BJP might field former MP and local leader Dilip Ghosh from Medinipur. But the TMC’s effort to retain the seat will be challenged by BJP’s Subhajit Roy. He is known as a close aide of West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
Meanwhile, the Left Front has selected CPI’s Mani Kuntal Khamrui in Medinipur assembly.
Taldangra: Arup Chakraborty of the TMC had won from this assembly constituency in Bankura district in 2021. For the upcoming by-poll, Trinamool has decided to field Falguni Singhababu, a high-school teacher and local block president of the party.
His main challenger would be BJP candidate Ananya Roy Chakraborty, a former TMC leader and municipal councillor. She had successfully contested the municipal polls after being denied a ticket by Trinamool. She joined the BJP earlier this month.
The Left Front candidate from Taldangra is CPI(M)’s Debkanti Mahanti.
Naihati: Trinamool leader Partha Bhowmick had made a hat-trick by retaining Naihati in the 2021 polls before securing another victory in the 2024 general elections. This time, the TMC has fielded Sanat De, a municipal councillor and a local face in Naihati which is part of Barrackpore Lok Sabha.
The BJP has also put its support behind a well-known local figure, Rupak Mitra. He serves as the general secretary of the party's Barrackpore organisational district. The Left candidate in this North 24 Parganas seat is Debajyoti Mazumdar of CPI (ML) Liberation.
Haroa: TMC’s Haji Sk. Nurul Islam had won a landslide victory in Haroa in 2021. He was elected to the Parliament with another landslide victory. Unfortunately, Islam passed away in September this year. For the November 13 by-election, Trinamool has given the ticket to his son Rabiul Islam.
He will be pitted against the BJP’s Bimal Das. The Left Front has not yet announced their candidate in this South 24 Parganas seat.
