A total of 1,583 booths have been set up in the constituencies to ensure the voting process takes smoothly, an official said. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), only central forces will be deployed to secure the booths.
Of the 108 companies, 22 have been deployed in Taldangra, 19 in Medinipur, 18 each in Madarihat, Haroa and Sitai, and 13 in Naihati. Besides, six companies will be deployed at strongrooms where electronic voting machines (EVM) will be kept.
Amid widespread protests on the R G Kar rape and murder case, the state’s Opposition parties are trying to corner the ruling Trinamool Congress. The five of these seats were won by the TMC in the 2021 Assembly elections. The TMC leadership, on the other hand, claims that the impact of “urban protests” over the RG Kar issue will not have an impact on the rural and semi-urban voters in the by-elections.
The bypolls were necessitated following the resignations of MLAs who were elected to the Lok Sabha in the general elections this year. The TMC, BJP and the Congress have fielded candidates for all six seats.
Five of these constituencies are in the TMC strongholds in south Bengal, while Madarihat remains a BJP bastion in the northern part of the state. Also, the CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress are contesting separately for the first time since 2021, following a recent change in the Bengal Congress leadership.
This time, the Left Front has fielded candidates for five of the six seats, including one CPI(ML) nominee. Campaigning for the bypolls ended on Monday.
Political observers noted that the RG Kar incident has intensified anti-incumbency sentiment, especially in urban areas. BJP leaders are optimistic about the party’s chances in these bypolls, especially after the RG Kar incident. “We are confident of retaining Madarihat and winning the remaining five seats,” BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.
He alleged that the RG Kar incident has exposed flaws in the state’s healthcare system, and the people of West Bengal are “fed up” with the TMC’s governance.
BJP leaders claimed that the party plans to leverage public anger over the RG Kar tragedy to gain an edge in the bypolls.
In a show of strength, the Left Front entered the electoral race as a separate bloc after several elections in alliance with Congress since 2021. Left leaders are considering the bypolls as an opportunity to test their appeal amidst public dissatisfaction with the TMC and the BJP.
“The government has failed to address the core issues within the state’s healthcare system, and the RG Kar incident is a stark reminder of that,” a CPI(M) leader said.
The bypolls will serve as a litmus test for the TMC, which emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections just four months ago. The party had bagged 29 parliamentary seats, up from 22 in 2019, while the BJP’s tally was down from 18 to 12. TMC insiders say the leadership is eager to gauge the current level of support amidst growing unrest over the RG Kar incident, which has cast a shadow over CM Mamata Banerjee’s administration.
“The polls will test whether the TMC still commands the overwhelming support it enjoyed in the recent Lok Sabha elections. All eyes are on how the RG Kar issue will play into voters’ decisions on November 13,” political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said.
— PTI inputs