All eyes on today’s by-election result in Bengal’s Kaliganj; tight security protocol for counting day

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were securely transported to the strong rooms on Thursday, and they are being monitored 24×7 through CCTV cameras. Political parties have been permitted to set up camps within 100 metres of the strong rooms, provided they obtain prior permission from the district magistrate.

The counting centre will have approximately 16 tables. One of these tables will be dedicated to the counting of postal ballots. Election Commission officials anticipate a maximum of 20 rounds of counting, with results likely to be declared by 1 pm.

Agents of political parties will only be allowed to carry white paper and pens. The counting will begin with postal ballots, followed by EVMs. Mobile phone usage will be restricted to observers and designated metronomic officers.

The Kaliganj seat fell vacant in February after the demise of the incumbent TMC MLA, Nasiruddin Ahmed, aged 70. Ahmed, affectionately known as Lal within TMC circles, had secured a significant victory in the 2021 Assembly elections, defeating BJP’s Abhijit Ghosh by a margin of 46,987 votes. He had previously won the seat in 2011 but lost to the Congress in 2016.

The by-election is a crucial test for both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which aims to extend its winning streak after sweeping all six Assembly bypolls last year, and the Opposition parties, particularly the BJP, which are eager to identify vulnerabilities of the TMC ahead of next year’s Assembly polls. The BJP, in particular, has been looking to leverage issues like the teachers’ protest, Operation Sindoor, and the Pahalgam terror attack to garner support.

With counting just hours away, all eyes are on Kaliganj to see which party emerges victorious and what implications the result holds for West Bengal’s political landscape.