The Trinamul Congress (TMC) leadership in Alipurduar is intensifying efforts to wrest control of the Madarihat Assembly seat from the BJP in the upcoming bypoll scheduled for 13 November.

Yesterday, under the leadership of Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik and TMC activists started wall writing and launched their campaign against the BJP.

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By-elections will be held in two Assembly constituencies in north Bengal after two MLAs were elected to the Parliament in the recently concluded elections. BJP leader Manoj Tigga, who previously represented Madarihat in the Assembly, is now the MP from Alipurduar, while TMC leader Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, formerly the MLA for Sitai, has been elected as the MP from Cooch Behar.

While the TMC has already begun its campaign, the BJP officially inaugurated its election office today to defend the Madarihat Assembly seat. The event was attended by Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista.

Addressing party leaders and workers, Mr Bista said, “BJP remains committed to the comprehensive development of the Madarihat Assembly constituency, and we are confident of a strong performance in this by-election.” He also took aim at the ruling TMC and the previous CPM regime, stating, “Despite 12 years of TMC rule under CM Mamata Banerjee and 34 years of CPM rule, north Bengal, especially its rural areas, continues to face deprivation, backwardness, and neglect. The West Bengal government has actively denied tea garden workers their rights, including fair wages, bonuses, and most importantly, parja patta (deed of land rights) for their ancestral land. The TMC government offers only lip service while continuing to exploit tea workers.”

On the other hand, Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik expressed optimism about securing the Madarihat Assembly seat. Drawing from his experience in the recent Parliamentary elections, where he contested against Manoj Tigga for the Alipurduar seat, Mr Baraik noted, “In the last LS polls, BJP secured just 11,000 more votes than the TMC in Madarihat. We are confident of bridging that gap in the Assembly bypolls.” He also criticized Mr Tigga for failing to deliver on his election promises, questioning the absence of the promised 200-bed hospital in the region.

Citing chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr Baraik announced that the state would soon (by December this year) disburse financial assistance to thousands of underprivileged people to help them build homes.