Kolkata
The Dhupguri Assembly byelection in West Bengal is turning out to be a litmus test not only for the BJP but for the Left-Congress alliance and the ruling Trinamool Congress as well.
Amid its falling vote share, the BJP in the State wants to win the byelection necessitated by the death of its sitting MLA Bishnu Pada Ray on July 25. Ever since the 2021 Assembly election the BJP leadership has suffered electoral and political setbacks in the State. Half a dozen of the MLAs elected on the BJP ticket have defected to the Trinamool. The BJP’s vote in the panchayat election dropped to 22% and the byelection in the BJP stronghold is crucial for the party.
Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari while campaigning for his party on Thursday said that people of Dhupguri should vote against corruption of the Trinamool and they should stop the election if the State police come within 200 metres of a polling station.
Located in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, the Dhupguri constituency is dotted by tea gardens and agricultural fields. The BJP leadership is banking on the support of Rajbangshi and Matua communities to retain the seat. The BJP has fielded Tapasi Roy, the widow of CRPF jawan Jagannath Roy who died during a terrorist attack in Kashmir in March 2021.
The Trinamool which has an edge after its performance in the rural electioins has promised that Dhupguri will be made a ‘Mahakuma’, a subdivision before December 31. Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said that the region will be given subdivision status by December 31. The Trinamool has fielded Nirmal Chandra Roy, a teacher from Dhupguri girls college for the Assembly seat.
The Left-Congress alliance has also fielded its candidate and is hoping to turn tables on the two major political parties in the contest – the Trinamool and the BJP. Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Mohammed Salim and the State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday held a massive joint rally launching a scathing attack on Trinamool and BJP. While the leaders of the Left, Congress, and Trinamool were seen in a bonhomie at Mumbai on September 1, the attack launched by Mr. Salim and Mr. Chowdhury towards ruling establishment in the State left the Trinamool leadership fuming. The CPI(M) with the support of Congress party has fielded another teacher, Ishwar Chandra Roy from the constituency.
Political observer and psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty said that while the ruling party in West Bengal maintains an edge in the byelection it will be interesting to see how the Left Congress candidates fares in the Dhupguri bypoll. “The byelection will set the tone as to whether the upcoming Lok Sabha election next year will be a two-party contest or a triangular contest,” Prof. Chakraborty who teaches political science at Rabindra Bharati University said.
The polling for the Dhupguri Assembly seat will be held on September 5 and the counting of votes will be held on September 8.
