Kolkata: With the Election Commission announcing bypolls in West Bengal following the request from the state government to avoid a constitutional crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will file her nomination to the Bhabanipur seat on Friday.
The by-election in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency will be held on September 30, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Election Commission also said by-polls will also be held in Samserganj and Jangipur of West Bengal and Pipli constituency of Odisha on the same date.
The counting of votes will be taken up on October 3. In May, the West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the Bhabanipur assembly seat paving way for the chief minister to contest from Bhabanipur seat.
Why this by-poll is crucial for Mamata Banerjee
Following a massive electoral win for a third consecutive term in May this year, the bypoll will be crucial for Banerjee as the supremo has to win a seat in the state assembly by November 5 in line with the constitutional provisions to continue as chief minister.
Bhabanipur or Bhawanipore, is Mamata's home turf, from where she created history by bringing down the curtain on the 34-year uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front . Mamata Banerjee won from Bhabanipur in 2011 and 2016.
A non-member of a state legislature or Parliament can continue in a ministerial position for six months according to the constitutional provision.
However, the CM expressed her displeasure regarding the Assembly poll timings and phases once again.
Speaking on this, the state Chief Minister said, "Only God knows the way polls were held in 2021. Centre lied, still couldn't beat me. There was a conspiracy behind an attack on me in Nandigram. Thousand goons from outside came to mislead about Bengal."
BJP and TMC remained at loggerhead since the Assembly elections which witnessed violence and the announcement of bypolls has once again compelled both the main parties to initiate debate for the by-polls.
The upcoming bypolls will give her a chance to become a member of the state assembly. She fought elections from Nandigram during the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections but lost to her former close aide Suvendhu Adhikari, who contested on a BJP ticket.
She lost to former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly.
Meanwhile, the Model Code of Conduct is in force in the districts, in which the whole or any part of the Assembly constituency is going for election.