NEW DELHI: Following a fierce battle in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA are set to clash again on July 10 in by-polls for 13 Assembly constituencies across seven states. This high-stakes contest includes four key seats in West Bengal.
The constituencies up for by elections are Rupauli in Bihar, Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah, and Maniktala in West Bengal, Vikravandi in Tamil Nadu, Amarwara in Madhya Pradesh, Badrinath and Manglaur in Uttarakhand, Jalandhar West in Punjab, and Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh.
In West Bengal, three of the four seats Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, and Bagdah are in focus due to recent political shifts. BJP MLAs in these constituencies had defected to the ruling TMC and contested the Lok Sabha elections but were defeated.
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Maniktala: Traditionally a Congress stronghold, this seat became a TMC bastion. It fell vacant after TMC leader Sadhan Pandey’s death in February 2022. The TMC has fielded his wife, Supti Pande, against BJP’s Kalyan Chaubey.
Raiganj: Initially won by the BJP in 2021, MLA Krishna Kalyani later joined the TMC and contested the Lok Sabha polls, losing to BJP’s Kartik Paul. Kalyani will contest again for TMC against BJP’s Manas Kumar Ghosh, with senior CPM leader Mohit Sengupta representing the Left-Congress alliance.
Bagdah: This seat in North 24 Parganas was won by the BJP in 2021, but MLA Biswajit Das defected to the TMC and lost the Lok Sabha polls. The TMC has now nominated Madhuparna Thakur, daughter of TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur, against BJP’s Binay Kumar Biswas.
Ranaghat Dakshin: BJP MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari switched to the TMC and contested the Lok Sabha seat but lost to BJP’s Jagannath Sarkar. Adhikari is contesting again for TMC against BJP’s Manoj Kumar Biswas. This SC reserved seat in Nadia has a significant Matua community presence.
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Bihar: Rupauli sees a significant contest as local dynamics play out amid the larger national narrative.
Tamil Nadu: Vikravandi is set for a crucial bypoll, with state politics influencing voter sentiment.
Madhya Pradesh: Amarwara, a critical constituency, could reflect broader state trends ahead of the assembly elections.
Uttarakhand: Badrinath and Manglaur will test the BJP’s hold in the hill state.
Punjab: Jalandhar West’s bypoll is a key test for the ruling party.
Himachal Pradesh: Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh are crucial for both BJP and the opposition as they jostle for dominance.