Assembly Bypolls: The ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday nominated actor-turned-politician Sayantika Banerjee for the bypoll to the Baranagar assembly seat in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The by-election on the seat will be held on June 1. The party also nominated Reyat Hossain Sarkar for the May 7 by-election to the Bhagabangola assembly seat in Murshidabad district.
The party took to social media platform X and announced the nominations. Banerjee, who joined the TMC before the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, was fielded from Bankura constituency but lost.
Despite losing from Bankura, the actor continued working for the party in the district after she was given organisational responsibility and made the state general secretary, news agency PTI reported, citing TMC sources. She had expressed disappointment after the party announced MLA Arup Chakraborty as the candidate for the Bankura Lok Sabha seat.
Incidentally, party supremo Mamata Banerjee, before announcing the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, had said that those who were not given nomination would be used in some other ways.
The actor will contest against BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh in Baranagar assembly seat, which fell vacant after former TMC leader Tapas Roy resigned as the MLA before quitting the party. The Bhagabangola assembly constituency in Murshidabad district fell vacant following the death of TMC MLA Idris Ali. The BJP has named Bhaskar Sarkar for Bhagabangola.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced Dilip Kumar Verma as its candidate for the by-election in the Gandey assembly constituency in Jharkhand. BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the party’s Central Election Committee has approved Verma's candidature for the bypoll, which will be held on May 20 along with Lok Sabha elections.
"Verma is a social worker, and is at present, holding the post of secretary in the party. He will contest elections for the first time," Shahdeo said, as quoted by PTI. The Gandey seat in Giridih district fell vacant after the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad who was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on March 14.