While the Baranagar bypoll has been necessitated by the resignation of sitting Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Tapas Roy and his decision to switch to the BJP on March 6, the Bhagawangola is being held because its MLA Idris Ali of the TMC died in February.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Roy won Baranagar by more than 36,000 votes, defeating his nearest rival Parno Mittra of the BJP. Ali defeated Mohammed Kamal Hussain of the CPI(M) by more than one lakh votes. No party has, as of yet, announced candidates for the two seats. Both BJP and TMC said an announcement on candidates would be made soon.

The EC, meanwhile, did not announce the bypoll for another vacant Assembly seat – Maniktala – as it is caught in a legal tangle. The seat has been vacant since the death of three-time MLA and state minister Sadhan Pande in February 2022. Runner-up and BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey had challenged the 2021 election result in the Calcutta High Court, which will hear the matter next on March 21.