As the Madarihat by-election approaches on 13 November, the stalled road over bridge (ROB) at a railway crossing in Birpara has emerged as a key campaign issue.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is spotlighting the delay, holding the Trinamul Congress (TMC)-led state government responsible for the holdup.
The TMC, aiming to reclaim this Assembly segment from the BJP, has been campaigning extensively. Alipurduar TMC district president and Rajya Sabha member Prakash Chik Baraik is actively rallying support for TMC candidate Jay Prakash Toppo.
However, reports suggest that a faction within the TMC is allegedly in touch with BJP’s former Alipurduar MP, John Barla.
Both parties have intensified their campaigns. TMC leader Joyprakash Majumdar held rallies in Madarihat and Sitai in Cooch Behar, while BJP leader Dilip Ghosh campaigned in Sitai.
Today, Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga joined the campaign at Jay Birpara tea garden for BJP candidate Rahul Lohar, following Baraik’s visit in support of Toppo at the same location the day before.
Leading the BJP’s campaign, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista emphasised that the ROB project was sanctioned in 2013-14 as a joint effort between Indian Railways and the West Bengal government. According to Bista, the project was stalled as the state failed to provide a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC), preventing the railway from proceeding with its portion of the construction.
“TMC’s bias against north Bengal is evident from its neglect of the Dooars, Terai, and Darjeeling hills,” Bista stated, accusing the state government of delaying vital infrastructure. He promised that a BJP-led effort would see the ROB project completed without further delay.
Bista also highlighted a second stalled project: the relocation of the Dolomite Siding from Dalgaon station in Birpara to Haripur, near Mujnai railway station. Although the project was sanctioned in 2017-18 and initial work completed, it has yet to progress due to the state’s delay in acquiring 7.16 acres of land.
The BJP hopes these issues will resonate with voters, presenting the stalled projects as evidence of the TMC’s alleged neglect of north Bengal’s development.