New Delhi (Agency): West Bengal’s ruling party, Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, emerged victorious in the recent bypolls for the Dhupguri Assembly seat. Celebrating the win, Banerjee labeled it as a “victory of the people,” highlighting the seat’s shift from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to TMC control.
After the win, Banerjee was seen praising her party and coalition partners for defeating the BJP in four different bypolls across the country. “I want people to take such decisions slowly,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of the electorate’s role in shaping the nation’s future. She also thanked the people of Dhupguri for their overwhelming support and trust.
In this particular election, TMC candidate Nirmal Chandra Roy, a college professor, won by a margin of over 4,313 votes. He secured 96,961 votes, while his closest competitor, BJP’s Tapasi Roy, garnered 92,648 votes. This victory increases TMC’s tally in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly to 217 seats.
Abhishek Banerjee, TMC’s national general secretary, took to social media to extend his gratitude to the people of Dhupguri. He promised “all-round development” for the area, reiterating Mamata Banerjee’s commitment to making Dhupguri a “sub-division” by the end of the year.
However, this win also shed light on the tensions within the INDIA opposition bloc, a coalition formed to counter the BJP. Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim criticized alliance partners Congress and the Left for campaigning against TMC despite being in the same coalition. “We are against the BJP and have been constantly fighting against them. But the Congress and the Left are…trying to help the BJP in Bengal,” Hakim said.
As for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), its candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy received 13,758 votes, a slight improvement from their performance in the 2021 assembly polls. The party acknowledged that being an opposition party makes winning a bypoll challenging but pledged to review the results and improve.