Madarihat bypolls: BJP, TMC set for November 13 showdown

Alipurduar: The by-election for the Madarihat Assembly Constituency will be held on November 13 after BJP MLA Manoj Tigga vacated the seat following his victory in the Alipurduar Lok Sabha Constituency earlier this year. This election will coincide with five other seats across Bengal.

On Saturday, the BJP named Rahul Lohar as its candidate for the Madarihat seat, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) fielded Jay Prakash Toppo, the block president of Madarihat Block.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Manoj Tigga won the seat for the BJP with a margin of 29,685 votes. In the recent 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP further strengthened its position in this assembly segment, gaining an additional 11,063 votes. Despite this, the TMC is eager to reclaim the seat, viewing the relatively narrow margin in the Lok Sabha elections as an opportunity.

Madarihat has been a BJP stronghold since 2016, but TMC has launched an intense campaign to turn the tide. TMC leader Prakash Chik Baraik stated: “Our top leadership has chosen Jay Prakash Toppo as the candidate. We are fighting for development, and we are confident about victory this time. Although we were behind in the Lok Sabha polls by 11,000 votes, we will overturn that result. Our goal is to reach every voter with the state government’s development achievements.”

The Madarihat constituency, located in the tea belt, consists of 24 tea gardens—19 in Alipurduar and five in the Banarhat region of Jalpaiguri district. The votes of tea garden workers will be crucial in deciding the outcome.

Robin Rai, General Secretary of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union, emphasized, “We have been preparing for six months. Tea workers are with us because of key projects like the Cha Sundari housing scheme and land leases.”

BJP leader Manoj Tigga is confident about increasing the party’s margin: “We will widen the gap and win by over 25,000 votes.”

Key local issues, such as dolomite loading at Birpara station, a new Railway flyover and the recently inaugurated fire station in Birpara, are expected to play roles in the campaign.

Madarihat has over 220,000 voters, with 226 polling booths in place.