Bengal bypoll: CPM, Cong agree on a candidate for seat won by BJP last time

TMC will seek to ensure no repeat of Sagardighi. It has a good presence in Rajbanshi-dominated Dhupguri seat, and BJP only won narrowly in 2021

Written by Atri Mitra

Kolkata | Updated: August 13, 2023 07:58 AM IST

4 min read

In Dhupguri, the CPI(M) is fielding Ishwar Chandra Roy, who will be supported by the Congress. (Express photo by Partha Paul/File)

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The CPI(M)-Congress alliance in West Bengal is hoping to pull off a Sagardighi again in the forthcoming bypoll for the Dhupguri Assembly seat in Jalpaiguri district.

The bye-election to the Sagardighi Assembly seat held in January this year had been won by the Congress, defeating the Trinamool Congress in its bastion. The Congress Sagardighi MLA though recently defected to the TMC.

In Dhupguri, the CPI(M) is fielding Ishwar Chandra Roy, who will be supported by the Congress.

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The seat was won in the 2021 Assembly elections by the BJP’s Bishnu Pada Roy, whose death in July necessitated the bypoll. So while the BJP will seek to hold on to the seat, the TMC will be looking to wrest it from its bitter rival.

In the 2021 Assembly polls too, the CPI(M) and Congress were in alliance.

The bye-election will be held on September 5, along with six other Assembly constituencies in five states. The counting of votes will be held on September 8.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, the Dhupguri seat had been won by the TMC’s Mithali Roy with close to 44% of the votes. However, CPI(M) candidate Mamata Roy, then also supported by the Congress, had got a creditable 34.26% of the votes.

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In 2021 though, the CPI(M)-Congress alliance was nowhere in the race, with its candidate Pradeep Kumar Roy losing his security deposit in an election where the BJP (45% of the votes) and TMC (43.75%) mopped up almost all the votes.

The I.N.D.I.A alliance might be a new formulation but the Left and Congress are now old partners in Bengal. Before announcing the candidate for Dhupguri, Left Front chairman Biman Bose is learnt to have spoken to state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The Rajbanshi vote is an important factor in Dhupguri, and the winners in the past two elections from the seat were from the community (the BJP’s Bishnu Pada Roy in 2021, and the TMC’s Mithali Roy in 2016). The CPI(M) candidate for the bypoll is also a Rajbanshi.

The Left is hoping that Ishwar Chandra Roy’s popularity as a Bhaoiya folk music artist and retired teacher of a local madrasa will go in its favour, with the bypoll being held on ‘Teacher’s Day’. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Ishwar Chandra is widely accepted, cutting across society. So, we are expecting very good results in the bypoll.”

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The TMC can be expected to pull out all the stops to avoid a second successive bypoll defeat. The Sagardighi loss, in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad, was the first for the TMC from the seat since 2011. Congress candidate Bayron Biswas had won by 22,986 votes, riding the support of the Left Front and its ally, the Indian Secular Front.

TMC leaders said they are not worried about regaining Dhupguri. A party leader said, “We lost this seat by a very thin margin in 2021. In the recent panchayat elections, we won from here with a huge margin. So, we are confident.”

Senior BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya said, “TMC leaders should realise that the bypoll will not be conducted in the manner in which the panchayat polls were held. We saw what happened in Sagardighi. So, people will give a reply to the TMC’s unethical tactics in the panchayat election here.”

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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