In a decisive victory, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has swept all four seats in the recent by-elections, dealing a significant blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The results were announced on Saturday for the constituencies of Raiganj, Maniktala, Bagda, and Ranaghat South, where TMC emerged victorious, further consolidating its power in West Bengal. In the 2021 Assembly elections, BJP had won in Raiganj, Bagda, and Ranaghat South, while TMC held Maniktala. The by-elections, however, saw TMC wrest these three seats from BJP, while retaining Maniktala. This resounding victory underscores TMC’s continued dominance and the BJP’s diminishing influence in the region.
In Raiganj, TMC candidate Krishna Kalyani won by a significant margin of 49,536 votes. This victory is particularly noteworthy as TMC had trailed by 47,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in this constituency. The BJP’s defeat in Raiganj is emblematic of a broader shift in voter sentiment.
Bagda, a constituency with a substantial Matua community, also saw BJP’s defeat. TMC’s Madhupurna Thakur won by over 30,000 votes, indicating strong support from the community that was previously seen as a BJP stronghold. In Ranaghat South, TMC candidate Mukutmani Adhikari won by more than 35,000 votes, further cementing TMC’s stronghold in the region. The Maniktala seat, which necessitated a by-election following the death of TMC MLA Sadhan Pande, was retained by his widow, Supti Pande, after 13 rounds of counting.
The counting of votes made it evident early on that TMC was heading for a clean sweep. Following the announcement of the results, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh took a jab at BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey, promising to send him as many Rasgullas as the number of votes by which he lost. Ghosh also pointed out that despite serious allegations against TMC leaders, the public’s trust in the party remained unshaken. He asserted that the people of West Bengal were better off under TMC rule compared to the Left era and BJP-ruled states, attributing their continued support to TMC’s acknowledgment of past mistakes and commitment to improvement.
This by-election victory enhances TMC’s strength in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC had secured 213 seats, while BJP won 77 seats. The Indian Secular Front (ISF) and an independent candidate won one seat each. With the later addition of two seats in Murshidabad’s Shamsherganj and Jangipur due to postponed elections, TMC’s tally increased to 215.
The latest by-election results push TMC’s seat count further, bolstering its legislative power and reaffirming its dominance in West Bengal politics. The BJP, on the other hand, faces a critical juncture as it reevaluates its strategy and seeks to regain lost ground in the state.
