News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal by-polls

  • Mamata fields Shatrughan Sinha, Babul Supriyo in West Bengal by-polls

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Sunday announced the names of two former Union ministers Shatrughan Sinha and Babul Supriyo as its candidates for the by-poll in Asansol Lok Sabha and Ballugunge Assembly constituencies respectively to be held on April 12. Sinha had quit the BJP in 2019 and Supriyo in 2021.

    “Happy to announce on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress that Sri Shatrughan Sinha, former Union Minister and famed actor, will be our candidate in Lok Sabha by-election from Asansol. Sri Babul Supriyo, former Union Minister and noted singer, will be our candidate in Vidhansabha by-election from Ballygunge,’’ TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

    Election in Asansol was necessitated after Supriyo resigned as the Constituency’s MP in October last year, a month after he had quit the BJP and joined the TMC. Ballygunge Assembly seat fell vacant after TMC minister Subrata Mukherjee died of cardiac arrest in November last year.

    Supriyo, the singer-turned-politician was the only sitting MP among 18 BJP lawmakers elected in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls who defected to the TMC.

    In July last year, Supriyo had announced that he had quit active politics after he was dropped as Union Minister from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

    Supriyo’s political career was in question after he was not fielded in any of the four Assembly constituencies—Dinhata, Shantipur, Khardah and Gosaba—where by-elections were held on October 30 last year. The TMC had snatched two of the seats, Dinhata and Shantipur, which were won by the BJP in the 2021 Assembly elections.

    ‘’Supriyo kept quiet since he joined the TMC. We were not sure what would be his political fate. Since the chief minister has announced his name as a candidate from Ballygune, it seems, Supriyo is all set to begin his new active political innings in our party,’’ said a TMC leader.

    Fielding a star candidate like Sinha in the Asansol LS constituency is said to be a strategically smart move by Mamata. ‘’Supriyo was elected from Asansol for consecutive two terms. But in the civic polls, the TMC secured victory in Asansol municipal corporation area.

    ‘’She (Mamata) is desperate to snatch away the Lok Sabha constituency from the saffron camp.  Eyeing victory in the Lok Sabha seats, which has a considerable number of non-Bengali electorates who are stated to be BJP’s strong vote-bank, Mamata played a smart card by fielding Sinha,’’ said a senior TMC leader.

  • With Mamata needing to get elected and almost no Covid in seven seats, TMC insists on by-polls

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Armed with the state health department’s report revealing either zero or negligible Covid-19 cases in seven Assembly constituencies where by-elections are yet to be held, the ruling Trinamool Congress has decided to approach the Election Commission seeking immediate by-polls.

    “By-elections in Bengal are important to us because Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will have to get elected within six months and the deadline is November 5. Now, BJP is playing the dirty game of trying to postpone the by-polls citing Covid-19 pandemic to force the CM to resign,” a senior TMC leader said.

    Jangipur, Shamsherganj and Shantipur Assembly constituencies recorded zero Covid-19 cases and Bhowanipore, Khardah, Gosaba and Dinhata have recorded only one or two Covid cases daily for the past few days.

    The poll panel has already asked all political parties to share their opinions on whether by-elections can be conducted considering the present pandemic situation. 

    TMC sources said the BJP leadership in Bengal have already decided to oppose the by-elections citing the Covid-19 pandemic and say the poll panel’s decision to seek the opinion of all political parties may delay the process.

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    In Bengal, 600 to 700 Covid positive cases are being reported every day and the daily death toll has come down to 8-10. Two months ago, the scenario was grim as the state used to record 1700 to 2,000 new Covid cases every day and the number of daily deaths used to be between 35 and 45.

    CM Mamata had been defeated in Nandigram by her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari, who defected to the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections. She is supposed to contest from Bhowanipore Assembly constituency, her erstwhile seat from where she was elected in 2011 and 2016.

    After coming to power for third straight term, Mamata had blamed the BJP and the poll panel for the spike in Covid infections in the state that she said was caused by the decision to conduct the Assembly elections in eight phases.

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    “All BJP heavyweights visited Bengal every day and addressed mega rallies during the election in which Covid protocols were grossly flouted. Now the situation is much better and under control but the BJP is trying to play a new trick to force the CM to resign,” a TMC leader said.

    BJP leaders in Bengal have decided to stick to their stance. “Hundreds of people are still getting infected every day in the state and experts are warning about the third wave. We are against by-election at this hour of crisis,” said a BJP leader.