The Bishnupur constituency, one of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, is set to witness very interesting battles between ex-wife and ex-husband. The candidature of an ex-couple in the Bishnupur constituency by the two arch-rivals - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) drew people's attention making Bishnupur a hot constituency. Another opposition party CPI(M) fielded Shital Koiborto.
The high-stakes poll battle is between TMC leader Sujata Mondal and BJP’s Saumitra Khan.
Khan’s name was listed in the BJP’s first list of candidates released a few days ago while Mondal’s name was announced in TMC’s Kolkata rally on March 10.
History of the constituency
The seat changed its voting pattern over the decades. The constituency was a stronghold of Congress till the Left wrested it in 1971. Left's dominance continued till 2014. People of the constituency voted for TMC in the Lok Sabha 2014 elections and voters shifted to BJP in 2019. Saumitra Khan held the constituency since 2014. First, he won the seat on the TMC ticket, later shifted to the BJP and retained the seat in the 2019 elections.
The high-stakes poll battle of 'exes'
Mondal and Khan separated in 2021 during the West Bengal Assembly elections. Sujata's entering into politics caused the ending of their married life. Khan publicly announced the split after Sujata joined TMC in 2020.
“I would request her to stop using the surname 'Khan'. I am severing all relations with Sujata today. I am sending her a divorce notice. I also request the media to not label her as a 'Khan',” he had said back then while announcing the split.
Lok Sabha poll battle in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee on March 10 announced candidates of TMC, ending the seat-sharing talks with Congress on a bitter note and subsequently ditching the opposition's I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Soon, after TMC's move, Congress attacked TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, saying she was scared of the BJP. The Left is also contesting solo in the state.
When will West Bengal vote?
West Bengal, which has 42 Lok Sabha seats, will be voting in all seven phases - April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
