The Trinamul Congress (TMC) swept all six assembly seats in the West Bengal bypolls, further consolidating its dominance in the state. The party retained four seats and wrested Madarihat from the BJP, marking its foray into the tea garden belt constituency.
The bypolls, held on November 13, took place in six constituencies- Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST). These elections were necessitated after sitting MLAs vacated their seats following victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Despite ongoing protests over the rape- murder of the trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the TMC's performance remained unshaken, signaling widespread public support in rural and semi urban areas.
Here's a snapshot of TMC's remarkable performance in the 2024 by-elections:
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Sangita Roy of TMC won the Sitai seat by a margin of 130,636 votes. She secured 165,984 votes, while BJP’s Dipak Kumar Ray managed 35,348 votes. TMC’s vote share surged to 76 per cent, up from 49 per cent in 2021, while BJP’s share dropped to 16 per cent, down from 45 per cent.
The biggest win for the Trinamul was the Madarihat seat in north Bengal’s tea garden belt. Jayprakash Toppo defeated BJP’s Rahul Lohar by 28,168 votes. TMC’s vote share climbed to 54 per cent from 37.2 per cent, while BJP’s dropped to 34 per cent, from 55 per cent reversing their 2021 performance when BJP held the seat with a margin of 29, 685 votes.
BJP MP from Alipurduar Manoj Tigga had earlier won from this seat in 2016 and 2021. This bypolls was necessitated after Tigga won the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
In Haroa, SK Rabiul Islam of TMC defeated Indian Secular Front’s Piyarul Islam by 1,31,388 votes, highlighting TMC’s continued support among minorities. In the suburban seat of Naihati, Sanat Dey secured a comfortable victory with 78,772 votes, defeating BJP’s Rupak Mitra by 49,277 votes. TMC’s vote share in Naihati surged to 62.97 per cent from 50 per cent in 2021, while BJP’s fell to 23.58 per cent from 38.1 in 2021.
TMC retained Medinipur, with Sujoy Hazra winning by a margin of 33,996 votes over BJP’s Subhajit Roy. In 2016, former BJP state President Dilip Ghosh had won the Medinipur seat. In Taldangra, Falguni Singhababu led with a margin of 20,273 votes over BJP’s Ananya Roy Chakraborty. These victories underline TMC’s robust presence in both rural and semi-urban constituencies.
The bypoll results were a severe blow to BJP, which even failed to retain Madarihat, a seat it had held. The party’s vote share dropped across constituencies, reflecting organizational weaknesses.
“A special thanks to the people of Madarihat for giving us the opportunity to serve you for the first time.” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said,
The CPI(M)-led Left Front and Congress, too, continued their electoral decline, losing deposits in several constituencies.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed gratitude to voters, stating, “Your blessings will help us work for the people in the coming days.” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee credited the victory to the people’s trust in the party, claiming the results dismantled “fake narratives” against Bengal.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, however, dismissed the results, stating that bypoll outcomes are not reliable indicators of public sentiment ahead of larger elections.
With this sweep, TMC’s tally in the 294-member state assembly rose to 216, further cementing its control in the state The BJP’s seat count dropped to 69, down from 77 in 2021. The results signal TMC’s robust electoral machinery and widespread public endorsement, leaving the opposition parties with significant ground to cover before the next elections.