TMC names candidates for Assembly bypolls; widow of former minister, daughter of MP among picks

The TMC has picked Krishna Kalyani, Mukut Mani Adhikari, Supti Pandey and Madhuparna Thakur as candidates for the bypolls in Raiganj, Ranaghat-Dakshin, Maniktala and Bagdah Assembly seats.

Written by Atri Mitra

Kolkata | June 14, 2024 01:43 PM IST

2 min read

Of the four Assembly constituencies, three seats – Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah and Raiganj – were bagged by the BJP and the remaining one – Maniktala in Kolkata – was won by the TMC in the 2021 state Assembly elections. (Express photo)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday announced its candidates for the bypolls to four Assembly seats in West Bengal.

The TMC has picked Krishna Kalyani and Mukut Mani Adhikari, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections, for the Raiganj and Ranaghat-Dakshin seats, respectively. In Maniktala, the TMC has chosen Supti Pandey, the widow of former minister Sadhan Pandey, as its candidate.

In Bagdah Assembly constituency, the TMC has nominated Madhuparna Thakur as its candidate. Thakur is the daughter of TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur and hails from the Matua Thakurbari family.

The Election Commission of India had announced on Monday that bypolls would be held in 13 Assembly constituencies across the country on July 10. Nominations for the four Assembly seats in West Bengal will be accepted from Friday, June 14.

In three of the four Assembly seats – Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagdah – BJP MLAs had switched sides to join the ruling TMC and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections. While Kalyani lost to BJP candidate Kartik Paul, Adhikari lost to sitting BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar. Both Kalyani and Adhikari have been named candidates in their respective Assembly segments.

Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, Biswajit Das had quit the TMC and joined the BJP. After being elected from Bagdah, however, he returned to the TMC. But he was defeated by the BJP’s Shantanu Thakur in Bongaon in the Lok Sabha elections. The TMC chose to pick Thakur in his place from Bagdah.

The fourth Assembly bypoll will be held in the Maniktala seat, which fell vacant after the demise of TMC veteran Sadhan Pandey.

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As per the votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP was ahead of its rivals in the first three Assembly segments while the TMC was ahead in Maniktala, but only by 3,500 votes.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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Assembly elections TMC West Bengal