Congress on Tuesday released a list of candidates for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal where by-polls will be held on November 13. The list contains names of candidates for Naihati, Haroa, Madarihat, Taldangra, Sitai and Medinipur constituencies. In assembly elections 2021, Congress failed to win any of these seats and hence is eyeing to clinch them in bypolls.
Candidates for six constituencies
- Naihati-Parehs Nath Sarkar
- Haroa (North 24 Parganas)- Habib Reza Chowdhury
- Madarihat (Alipurduar)- Bikash Champro Mary
- Medinipur- Shyamal Kumar Ghosh
- Taldangra (Bankura)- Tusharkanti Sannigrahi
- Sitai (Cooch Behar)- Harihar Roy Singha
Multipolar contest among BJP, Congress, TMC and Left
The electoral contest is expected to be a litmus test for all the political parties following the massive doctors' protests over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The stage is set for a four-cornered contest, as the CPI(M)-led Left Front, on Monday announced candidates for five seats including one for the CPI(ML). It had fought elections in alliance with the Congress in previous polls since 2021.
On Haroa's seat, the Left Front is likely to support the Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate. The ruling TMC and the BJP had already announced candidates for all six assembly segments. These bypolls will be held because of the resignations of sitting MLAs following their victories in this year's Lok Sabha elections. The TMC won five of these seats in the 2021 assembly polls. Only Madarihat was held by the BJP.
Notably, on August 9, junior doctors began a cease work after the rape and murder of the woman medic at RG Kar hospital. On October 5, they started a fast-unto-death after nearly 50 days of cease work in two phases.
Agitating junior doctors withdrew their two-week-long fast on Monday evening, after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
(With PTI inputs)
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