In a high-stakes political showdown, the opposition bloc is facing a pivotal test in the upcoming bypoll for the Dhupguri assembly segment. The key players in this battle are the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance, both vying to capture this rural seat in North Bengal, currently held by the BJP.
The vacancy arose following the passing of the sitting BJP MLA, Bishu Pada Ray, earlier this year. Dhupguri, situated in the Jalpaiguri district, is characterized by its tea gardens and an agricultural population. The constituency comprises a substantial number of Rajbanshi and Matua communities, which had voted in favor of the saffron camp during the 2021 assembly polls. Additionally, the region has a minority population of around 15 percent.
Notably, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim and Congress president Adhir Rajan Chowdhury recently organized a massive rally in Dhupguri, wherein they criticized both the TMC and the BJP. This event coincided with central leadership discussions among the opposition parties, including the TMC, to devise a strategy for countering the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “It is a local election and has nothing to do with the INDIA opposition bloc. At the local level, we are fighting our own battle.”
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the fight in Bengal is against both the communal BJP and the misrule of the TMC, and the battle in Dhupguri, a seat which had been a bastion of the Left from 1977-2011, is no exception.
The CPI(M) has fielded Ishwar Chandra Roy, a teacher by profession, from the seat.
The ruling party TMC, which has refused to partner with Left and the Congress at the state level, repeatedly accused the CPI(M) and Congress of helping the BJP in West Bengal. And, the party fielded a teacher, Nirmal Chandra Roy, from this seat.
“What is happening in Dhupguri has no bearing on the efforts of the INDIA opposition bloc at the national level. But it is true that in Bengal, at times, the role of the CPI(M) and Congress is helping the BJP. We are steadfast in our fight against the BJP,” TMC MP Santanu Sen said.
The TMC has pulled all the stops to wrest back the seat, which it had won twice since 2011, and has promised to make Dhupguri a “sub-division by the end of this year.”
Meanwhile, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said even before the opposition bloc has taken off, cracks are visible in it.
“Dhupguri is a classic example of how brittle this opposition front is; even before it started, cracks are visible. Now, the people will decide accordingly,” he said.
The counting of votes will take place on September 8.
(With PTI inputs)
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Updated: 04 Sep 2023, 01:05 PM IST