Trinamool Congress to call on Election Commissioners for holding Bengal byelections

A team of Trinamool Congress leaders will meet the Election Commission authorities to demand holding the byelections pending in the state. A meeting is being scheduled on Thursday in the EC’s Delhi office.

Elections in seven Assembly constituencies from West Bengal are pending right now. Elections are pending in Jangipur and Samshergunj and byelections are to be held in Bhawanipore, Santipur, Khardah, Gosaba and Dinhata.

After the conclusion of the Assembly elections in April 2021, byelections for these seats have still not been announced by the EC. While it is being assumed that the election dates have not been announced in view of the COVID-19 situation, West Bengal’s ruling party feels that this is the right time for election since the situation is under control now. According to some leaders, when the Assembly election was held in Bengal in April-May 2021, the second wave was at the peak and since then the number of people contracting the virus has come down and so has the death rate. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee too had said this recently.

Banerjee had taken oath as the chief minister on May 5 and she has to win in a byelection by November 5, as per rules. This is yet another reason that Bengal’s ruling party wants the byelections to not get delayed any further.

State agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay – who won from Bhawanipore – has resigned as MLA on May 21. It is assumed that Mamata Banerjee may contest from this seat in the byelection. Also, Trinamool’s Kajal Sinha, passed away before the results were announced from Khardah from where he had contested. Chattpadhyay may contest from Khardah.

In Santipur and Dinhata, BJP leaders Jagannath Sarkar and Nishith Pramanik have resigned after they won from these seats respectively. In June, Trinamool MLA from Gosaba – Jayanta Naskar – passed away. In Jangipur and Samshergunj, death of contestants was the reason election could not be held.