Mamata to contest Bhabanipur bypoll

TMC announces candidates for Sept. 30 elections

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday announced its candidates for bypolls for three Assembly constituencies in West Bengal scheduled for September 30. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from Assembly segment 159 at Bhabanipur in Kolkata.

Ms. Banerjee had represented the constituency in 2011 and 2016. With the Election Commission of India announcing bypolls, the State’s ruling party has begun the campaign for Bhabanipur. Trinamool Congress supporters started painting wall graffiti in the area with “Khela Hobe” slogans seeking votes for the Chief Minister.

In the Assembly poll held earlier this year, Ms. Banerjee had contested from Nandigram and lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes. To continue as Chief Minister, she has to get elected to the State Assembly within six months. The announcement of bypolls have come as a relief to the TMC leadership but the State BJP has raised questions on why polling in four other constituencies where bypolls are due has not been announced.

From Jangipur Assembly seat, the TMC is fielding former Minister Jakir Hossain. Mr Hossain had sustained injuries in a bomb blast in Murshidabad during the campaign earlier this year. The party candidate from Samserganj is Amirul Islam.

The BJP leadership is yet to announce its candidates.

The bypolls will also test the Left and Congress alliance. Differences between the two parties have started appearing over the two constituencies in Murshidabad. The Congress is not keen to put up any candidate against the Chief Minister at Bhabanipur but the Left parties may put up a candidate if Congress does not field anyone.

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