Facing a challenge, TMC ropes in ministers, senior leaders to boost campaign

A senior TMC leader said, “Our leadership first took it lightly and thought we will win, like any other bypoll. But later, they realised that it will not be a cakewalk as the CPI(M) are supporting the Congress candidate.”
Voting will take place on February 27 and results will be announced on March 2.
The TMC has won all the byelections since the Assembly polls in 2021. But after widespread allegations of corruption in the education sector and furore over “irregularities” in schemes such the PM Awas Yojana, could there be any change in that pattern of results? To get the answer to this question, this time all eyes are on the Sagardighi assembly byelection.

In a bid to ensure a “free and fair” election, the Election Commission of India has transferred Sagardighi Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Abhijit Sarkar. The commission directed that a new OC be appointed in Sagardighi from another district.

Incidentally, Subrata Saha won from Sagardighi in the 2021 Assembly elections. The TMC leader went on to become a state minister. Subrata Saha has been elected as MLA of Sagardighi Assembly Constituency for three consecutive terms. In 2011, he was the only Trinamool MLA from Murshidabad district. He also won in 2016 and 2021. He died of a heart attack in December last year, thus leaving the seat vacant. This time, Debashish Banerjee – a distant relative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – is fighting from Sagardighi on a TMC ticket.

A total of 30 companies of paramilitary forces will be deployed for the bypoll. Along with them, armed paramilitary personnel will be guarding all the 246 booths. The booths will be managed by district police personnel.