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West Bengal Bypolls Offer BJP Early Test, Opposition Contest
People in Nandigram and Rejinagar are getting ready to vote in two special elections.
The votes are scheduled for October 6, and the counting is set for October 9.
These are the first elections since the BJP took power in West Bengal in May, ending 15 years of TMC rule.
The results may offer an early clue about how voters feel about the new government.
But the government has been in office for only four months, so the bypolls cannot fully judge its work.
Opposition parties are also competing to show which one could challenge the BJP most strongly.
Nandigram is especially significant because of its political history.
The BJP’s candidate there, Hasirani Rath, is the mother of Chandranath Rath, who was shot dead after the BJP’s election win.
Voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled to vote on October 6, with counting on October 9.
The bypolls are the first elections since the BJP ended the TMC’s 15-year rule in May.
The contests may offer an early indication of voter response to the BJP government, but cannot judge the record of a four-month-old administration.
Opposition parties are competing to establish themselves as the BJP’s principal challenger, while parties are also watching minority voters’ preferences.
In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath’s son, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead two days after the BJP won the assembly election.
- Who
- Voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar; the BJP and opposition parties are contesting.
- What
- By-elections for two West Bengal assembly seats.
- Where
- Nandigram and Rejinagar, West Bengal, India.
- When
- Polling is scheduled for October 6; counting is scheduled for October 9.
- Why
- The contests may provide an early indication of voter response to the BJP government and which opposition party could become its principal challenger.
Key facts
- Seats
- Nandigram and Rejinagar
- Polling date
- October 6
- Counting date
- October 9
- Previous governing party
- TMC, which ruled for 15 years before the BJP took power in May
- Nandigram BJP candidate
- Hasirani Rath
- Nandigram’s political significance
- It was the centre of Mamata Banerjee’s anti-land acquisition movement and the seat where Suvendu Adhikari defeated her in 2021.
Quotes
Biswanath Chakraborty
Political analyst commenting on the bypolls and the opposition.
“The main issue is who occupies the opposition space against the BJP. The bypolls will give us an indication of which party has the potential to emerge as the principal challenger.”
m.rediff.com
Sources
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