BJP Takes the Lead in West Bengal Bye-elections for Nandigram and Rejinagar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is showing a strong performance in the bye-elections for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly seats in West Bengal, as vote counting progressed on Friday. As of 2:10 PM, BJP’s Hasi Rani Rath was leading in Nandigram with a significant margin of over 1 lakh votes against Congress candidate Milan Pradhan after 13 rounds of counting, with two more rounds left to go.

Hasi Rani Rath, whose candidacy has garnered significant attention, is the mother of an aide to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. This aide was tragically shot dead just days after the state election results were declared in May, which has further intensified the political narrative surrounding her campaign. The bye-election was necessitated after Adhikari vacated the Nandigram seat, which he had held since 2016 after leaving the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join the BJP in December 2020.

In a strategic move, the TMC faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to back Milan Pradhan after their own candidate withdrew from the race. This decision came shortly after images of the withdrawing candidate’s meeting with Adhikari surfaced online, raising eyebrows and highlighting ongoing tensions within the state’s political landscape.

Meanwhile, in Rejinagar, BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar is also ahead, leading the Aam Janata Unnayan Party’s Golam Nabi Azad by over 46,000 votes after eight rounds of counting, with seven rounds still to be tallied. Congress’ Abdullahil Kafi is trailing in third place, while Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, representing the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction, finds himself in fourth. The bye-election in Rejinagar, which has a significant Muslim population, became necessary following the resignation of the previous Aam Janata Unnayan Party representative.

The results of these bye-elections could have substantial implications for the political dynamics in West Bengal, especially with the upcoming general elections on the horizon. The BJP’s strong showing in these constituencies may signify a consolidation of its power in regions previously dominated by the TMC. As the counting continues, all eyes will be on how these results will influence voter sentiment and party strategies going forward.

Source: scroll.in