TMC leader killed in attack at Bhatpara
During the Naihati by-election today, a Trinamul Congress (TMC) leader was killed in an attack by miscreants in Bhatpara, under Jagaddal police station, in North 24 Parganas.
After an electrifying victory, bagging 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the parliamentary elections, the Trinamul Congress leadership is confident of winning all the six seats in bypolls.
The TMC has had a phenomenal rise, increasing its number to 29 this year from 22 in 2019 LS polls, while BJP suffered a setback by losing six LS seats in the state. It had won 18 seats in 2019.
Besides the Matharihat constituency won by BJP, the ruling party had won the rest five Assembly seats as per the results of Assembly polls held in 2021.
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Breaking electoral alliance, the CPM-led Left Front and the Congress are contesting separately for the first time since 2021.
There would be a four-cornered battle among Trinamul Congress, BJP, CPM and Congress this time.
Trinamul Congress leadership felt that they would bag all six Assembly seats despite negative campaigns against Mamata Banerjee government.
“The uproar triggered by the incident at R G Kar Hospital was restricted to Kolkata and several adjoining towns only. The protest movements organised by a section of doctors and civil society has hardly any impact among rural people. Only Naihati and Medinipur out of the six Assemblies, where bypolls will be held, are in urban areas. But the rest four Assemblies are in rural Bengal. People will vote for Mamata Banerjee government’s development works and local issues,” Trinamul Congress insiders felt.
Political observers in the city felt that the R G Kar Hospital incident has intensified anti-incumbency sentiments, especially in urban areas.
“The government has failed to address the core issues within the state’s healthcare system, and the RG Kar incident is a stark reminder of that,” a CPM leader said.
The RG Kar case has given the Opposition fresh ammunition to challenge TMC’s dominance. “The polls will test whether the TMC still commands the overwhelming support it enjoyed in the recent Lok Sabha elections. All eyes are on how the RG Kar issue will play into voters’ decisions on 13 November,” a political analyst felt.
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