Nandigram, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Nandigram Assembly seat in East Medinipur, West Bengal, is set for a by-election on October 6, featuring six candidates vying for votes. Political analysts suggest the most intriguing contest will be for second place, as Nandigram is currently regarded as a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the recent Assembly elections, Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari won both Nandigram and Bhawanipur. He retained the Bhawanipur seat and resigned from Nandigram, prompting the upcoming by-election.
The BJP has nominated Hasirani Rath for this seat. She is the mother of Chandranath Rath, Adhikari’s personal assistant, who was tragically shot and killed shortly after the election results on May 6 in North 24 Parganas. Her candidacy may evoke sympathy and potentially benefit the BJP.
Political experts note that the BJP secured victories in all 16 seats of East Medinipur in the last elections. Since 2021, Nandigram has remained a strong base for the BJP, primarily due to Adhikari’s influence. The critical question for the by-election is whether the opposition candidates can save their deposits and who will secure second place.
In addition to Hasirani Rath, five other prominent candidates are contesting. The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has fielded Sanchita Pradhan Dey from its “core but minority” faction. Ritabrata Banerjee’s “rebel but majority” faction has nominated Ehteshamul Haque. Other candidates include Shanti Gopal Giri from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Milan Pradhan from the Congress, and Mohammad Sabe Miraj Ali Khan from the All India Secular Front (AISF).
Voting for the by-election in Nandigram and the Rejinagar Assembly seat will take place on October 6, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 9.
Before the by-election, Mamata Banerjee attempted to negotiate an electoral understanding with the Congress. She proposed that if the Congress refrained from fielding a candidate in Rejinagar, the Trinamool would withdraw its candidate from Nandigram. However, the Congress leadership rejected this proposal, leading to a multi-cornered contest in both seats.
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