As bypolls approach, Oppn struggles to ignite any spark

Kolkata: As Bengal gears up for bypolls in six Assembly constituencies on November 13, the Opposition seems to be losing steam before the race even begins.

Campaign energy apparently is lacklustre, with all parties struggling to capture voter attention. The once-promising Left-Congress alliance has faded from sight, nearly invisible in the political arena since their coalition came undone. Meanwhile, voters wait for a spark from the Opposition—but the silence suggests that none may come.

The BJP, as the main contender against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), is making a last-ditch effort to hold onto at least one seat—Madarihat—out of the six. In a bid to sway voters, the party is amplifying the recent RG Kar incident, turning it into a focal point of their campaign.

But the question remains will it suffice with the TMC govt taking several measures to boost the health sector further?

BJP’s campaign has so far concentrated mostly on the RG Kar. The TMC has a grip on five of the six seats going to polls, though the BJP was the runner-up in all five in the last Assembly election in 2021.

The Left and Congress candidates are hardly visible in the constituencies they are contesting for. They have failed to come up with any relevant agenda that could convince the people to vote for them. While five seats have Left Front candidates, it is backing ally Indian Secular Front nominee in the sixth. The Congress is individually contesting in all the six seats. In 2021, when the Left and Congress had contested together they failed to win a single Assembly seat. Their coalition candidates got 1.66 per cent votes in Sitai, 10.11 per cent in Naihati, 5.43 per cent in Medinipur, 11.41 per cent in Taldangra and 4.24 per cent in Madarihat. Sitai, Naihati, Haroa, Midnapore and Taldangra were won by the TMC in 2021, while the BJP was victorious in Madarihat.

While the TMC leaders’ main plank is the state government’s popular welfare schemes the BJP is trying to bank on the R G Kar rape-and-murder case to boost its chances in the six Assembly seats.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari in some of his recent campaigns referring to the RG Kar incident urged the people to take revenge through votes.

He has been telling voters that a change of government in Bengal is the only way to ensure justice for the hospital assault victim. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP knows they will not win and hence they are shouting about R G Kar. Apart from winning five of the six Assembly seats up for bypolls, in the 2021 elections, the TMC also dominated the overlapping Lok Sabha constituencies this year.

Only in two Assembly segments, of Madarihat and Medinipur, was the BJP ahead, by 9,000 and 11,000 votes, respectively.