Taldangra bypoll: TMC’s Falguni Singha Babu aims for ‘record margin victory’

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Falguni Singha Babu is aiming for a decisive win “with a record margin” in the upcoming by-election for the Taldangra Assembly seat.

Despite a four-way race with no alliance between CPI(M) and Congress, the primary contest is expected to be between TMC’s Singha Babu and BJP’s Ananya Roy Chakraborty.

Singha Babu who is confident of winning the seat in the by-elections, has been carrying out an extensive campaign. TMC’s Arup Chakraborty won the Assembly seat in 2021 by defeating his nearest rival BJP’s Shyamal Sarkar by more than 14,000 votes. Chakraborty contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on TMC’s ticket from Bankura and won. This has necessitated bypolls in Taldangra.

A teacher by profession Singha Babu has a clean image in the locality and he served the party in various capacities. Local Trinamool leaders are not only 100 per cent confident about his win but they also believe that the margin may also go up this time.

Singha Babu along with the local party leaders conducted a campaign in several parts of Phulmati Panchayat under Taldangra Assembly Constituency on Tuesday morning. Accompanied by MP Arup Chakraborty, he took part in a roadshow covering Pukuria, Kadma, Khichkai areas.

There are around 2,64,000 voters under Taldangra Assembly Constituency.

BJP’s Ananya Roy Chakraborty was earlier a TMC councillor from Ward 18 under Bankura Municipality. As she was denied a ticket by the TMC during the last civic body elections, Roy Chakraborty contested as an Independent candidate and she won. A few months ago, she had joined the BJP. She is trying to garner votes in her favour running on the “daughter of the soil” image as she was born in Taldangra.

CPI(M) on the other hand reposed its faith in Debkanti Mahanti who is contesting from this seat. He is also a schoolteacher.

He is trying his luck in the electoral battle for the first time. Congress on the other hand has fielded Tushar Kanti Sannigrahi for Taldangra seat.

A teacher by profession, Sannigrahi is trying hard to make an impression in the electoral battle.

The by-elections will happen in Naihati, Haroa, Midnapore, Taldangra, Sitai and Madarihat on November 13.

Many believe that the results of the by-elections may give an outline as to how the 2026 Assembly elections in Bengal will take shape.