Bengal Bypoll Results: Despite RG Kar Protests, Mamata's TMC Leading In All 6 Seats, Set For Clean Sweep

Bengal Bypolls 2024: Ruling TMC leads in all six West Bengal seats. The bypolls, held after the RG Kar rape-murder case, are a test for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's leadership.

Bypolls were held in 6 seats across India.

Source : PTI

Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken commanding leads in all six assembly seats in West Bengal bypolls, with counting underway since Saturday morning. Early trends indicate the ruling TMC could win all six seats.

The bypolls, held in Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST), were necessitated after the sitting MLAs vacated these seats following their wins in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These elections, held after the RG Kar rape-murder case that had the state on the boil, are being viewed as a litmus test for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's leadership and the TMC's political dominance.

TMC’s Early Leads

Sitai: In this constituency reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate, TMC's Sangita Roy was leading by a staggering 73,452 votes at the time of writing, overshadowing BJP's Dipak Kumar Ray, who trails significantly with only 12,959 votes.

Madarihat: It's a Scheduled Tribe (ST) seat and the BJP’s lone stronghold among the six. TMC's Jayprakash Toppo is ahead here, against BJP’s Rahul Lohar.

Naihati: TMC's Sanat Dey has built a decisive lead with, more than doubling BJP's Rupak Mitra's tally of around 15,000 votes at the time if writing.

Haroa: SK Rabiul Islam of the TMC is leading by nearly 40,000 votes, leaving the All India Secular Front’s Piyarul Islam far behind.

Medinipur: Sujoy Hazra of the TMC has garnered a decent lead over BJP's Subhajit Roy (Bunty), who has received around 21,000 votes.

Taldangra: TMC’s Falguni Singhababu was ahead by a margin of around 6,000 votes at the time of writing.

Five of the six constituencies are located in South Bengal, a TMC stronghold, and a clean sweep will underscore the party's continued dominance in the region.

The BJP, which had hoped to capitalise on public discontent over issues like corruption and the RG Kar Medical College protests, appears to have failed to make a dent in TMC's dominance. Even in Madarihat, a key northern constituency previously held by the BJP, the party is struggling to regain its foothold.