THE TMC swept bypolls in West Bengal on Saturday, retaining five seats and wresting Madarihat from BJP, further cementing its political dominance in West Bengal, even as the ongoing protests over the RG Kar incident failed to sway voters.
The bypolls were held in six constituencies — Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST) — following the resignation of MLAs who had vacated their assembly seats after securing victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
These elections held on November 13 were seen as a crucial test for the ruling party amid a politically charged atmosphere, with protests over the RG Kar issue intensifying.
Despite these protests, the TMC emerged victorious across the board, in both rural and urban areas, continuing its winning streak of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Five of the six constituencies are located in South Bengal, a TMC stronghold, while Madarihat is in the north, which the BJP had won in 2021.
In Haroa, where over 70 per cent of the voters belongs to the minority community, the BJP came a distant third and failed to retain its deposit, prompting party leader Suvendu Adhikari to comment: “Minorities don’t vote for BJP”.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had hoped to capitalise on the RG Kar protests to revive its fortunes, faced a crushing defeat, losing its deposit in Sitai, Taldangra, Medinipur and Madarihat.
Its ally CPI (ML) Liberation too lost its deposit in Naihati, while the All India Secular Front (ISF) faced the same fate in Haroa.
The Congress, which contested without an alliance with the Left for the first time since 2021 but fared no better, lost deposits in all six constituencies.
This victory is historic for the TMC, as it marks the first time the party has taken control of Madarihat, a key seat in the tea garden belt.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee expressed her gratitude to the people of the state for their continued support, saying, “I would like to thank and congratulate the 'Maa, Mati, and Manush' from the bottom of my heart. Your blessings will help us work for the people in the coming days,” in a social media post.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar downplayed the significance of the results. “Bypoll results cannot serve as a reliable indicator. Whether the people are with the TMC or against them will be reflected in the upcoming assembly elections,” Majumdar said.
With this victory, TMC’s tally in the 294-member state assembly rises to 216, further consolidating its position. The BJP’s tally drops to 69, from 77 in 2021. (PTI)
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