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HomeIndiaBJP's slide in West Bengal continues as TMC clinches parliamentary, assembly bypolls

BJP’s slide in West Bengal continues as TMC clinches parliamentary, assembly bypolls

The Trinamool Congress secured a comfortable victory in Asansol Parliamentary by-election and Ballygunge Assembly by-election in West Bengal.

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Kolkata: Continuing its losing streak in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a drubbing in two bypolls in the state, despite a shrill campaign by the saffron party attacking the ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) on various issues of law and order.

The Trinamool Congress secured a comfortable victory in Asansol Parliamentary by-election and Ballygunge Assembly by-election in West Bengal.

In Asansol, actor turned politician Shatrughan Sinha clinched the Lok Sabha seat for the TMC for the first time since the party’s birth in 1998. He won against BJP’s sitting MLA and women wing president, Agnimitra Paul with over 3 lakh votes. In Ballygunge, Trinamool’s vote share fell by 21 per cent but Babul Supriyo, former Union minister and Asasnol MP won on a TMC ticket with 51,199 votes.

“We are grateful to the people; I want to thank all the voters and Trinamool workers. Despite all the negative campaigning, conspiracies and falsehood of the BJP, people have reposed faith in us”, said Party supremo Mamata Banerjee after offering prayers at Kalighat Temple near her residence after the bypoll results.

West Bengal BJP Chief Dr. Sukanta Majumdar dismissed any organisational fault for the poor performance. “The turn-out in Ballygunge was low, there are several factors that rule a by-poll, but I can write on a stamp paper that in 2024, BJP will win Asansol seat again. Our fight and political progarmmes will continue unhindered”, he told the media.


Also read: ‘Victim blaming’: Mamata slammed for ‘rape or love affair’ comment on minor’s killing in Nadia


BJP’s losing streak

The BJP’s defeat in the bypolls follows its loss in state Assembly election last year and in the civic polls held earlier this year.

In the civic polls, held in March 2022 this year, the BJP drew a blank, while the TMC pocketed 102 of the 118 municipalities going to polls in the state. Similarly, in last year’s state assembly election, the BJP won just 77 of the 294 seats up for grabs, while the TMC triumphed with 211 seats.

Since its loss in the West Bengal assembly election last year, the BJP has consistently targeted the Mamata Banerjee-led state government on its alleged inability to manage law and order. After the assembly election, it first targeted the state government for failing to manage post-poll riots in the state. Ahead of the April 12 bypoll, the BJP’s campaign against the TMC was centred more around the alleged graft, political murders and gangrape. The Calcutta High Court in the last one month has handed over at least seven such cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a probe.

Political Science professor at Rabindra Bharti University and Political analyst, Biswanath Chakraborty feels the BJP has lost its grip over West Bengal. “Despite TMC’s misrule, I consider the BJP to remain an opposition splinter only. Leaving aside the 40% Muslim votes, the party cannot come to power. Moreover, the State leadership of BJP is still not showing any confidence, they failed to make a political narrative. I don’t see the Trinamool being defeated in West Bengal soon”, he told ThePrint.

(Edited by: Manoj Ramachandran)


Also read: Amit Shah to visit Bengal this month for 1st time since 2021 poll debacle, BJP expects boost


 

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