As the Dhupguri Assembly segment sees bypolls Tuesday, the candidates offer an interesting window into the expectations of the parties in the fray. The BJP candidate, Tapasi Roy, is the widow of a CRPF personnel killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress-backed CPI(M) candidate, Ishwar Chandra Roy, is a madrasa teacher and 'Bhawaiya' folk singer, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate, Nirmal Chandra Roy, is a college professor. Significantly, all of them Rajbangshis. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP sitting MLA Bishupada Ray. About 60% of the population in the constituency are Rajbangshis — the largest Scheduled Caste community of West Bengal. In the last two Assembly polls, Rajbangshi candidates have won, including both Bishnupada Roy in 2021, and the TMC's Mitali Roy in 2016. In the 2021 Assembly election, Bishnupada Roy had got 45.65% of the votes and won by a mere 4,355 votes, against the TMC candidate, who got 43.75% votes. The CPI(M) candidate got 5.73% of the votes. While in the recent panchayat elections, the TMC won the Dhupguri gram panchayat, the BJP claims it won by “looting votes”, and that the result was not a true reflection of the people's mandate. The TMC's choice of a college professor as candidate is interesting given the recent allegations of corruption its government is facing over the appointment of teachers. Nirmal Chandra Roy is a history professor at Dhupguri Girls College and enjoys a clean image. “I am confident of victory. Once elected, my main focus will be Dhupguri's development. I will continue the initiatives left unfinished by the previous MLA," he said. The husband of Tapasi Roy, the BJP's Dhupguri candidate, was critically injured during an attack on a CRPF team in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar on March 25, 2021. Jagannath Roy succumbed to his injuries later. The choice of his widow plays to the BJP's nationalist refrain. Tapasi said: “I did not expect to be fielded by the BJP. My husband gave his life for the country and I want to dedicate my life to Dhupguri and its people. I will work towards making Dhupguri a sub-division and develop a proper hospital here. A lot of work also needs to be done for the development of women and the girl child here.” The CPI(M)'s Ishwar Chandra Roy is a retired teacher of the local Patkidaha High Madrashah. He is more well known as an artiste of Bhawaiya songs, a popular, non-denominational folk music tradition that originated in North Bengal and makes frequent references to the working class. Iswar Chandra regularly broke into self-composed Bhawaiya songs on the campaign trail. “The election will be held on September 5, 'Teacher’s Day'. We expect popular teacher Iswar Chandra to make an impact that day,” said senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.
