TMC eyes increase in vote margin in Maniktala bypolls

Kolkata: Ahead of the bypolls in the Maniktala Assembly seat on July 10, Trinamool Congress (TMC) is eyeing to increase its vote margin in the wards within the constituency for its party candidate Supti Pandey.

It was learnt that even as the TMC fared better in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by bagging 29 seats, it is discontent with its electoral performances in several wards in the city, especially in North Kolkata. Its Lok Sabha MP for Kolkata North seat Sudip Banerjee though managed a victory, could not clock a good vote margin and was leading with only 3000 votes, especially in wards in Maniktala.

Sources said that after autopsy of the Lok Sabha poll results, the party has decided to leave no stone unturned in its quest to improve its vote margin in the upcoming bypolls. TMC candidate for Maniktala seat, Supti Pandey, wife of the former MLA of that seat Sadhan Pandey, is learnt to have been briefed about the localities where she ought to reach out to as many voters as possible.

It was learnt that two wards in Maniktala seat are under the radar of the ruling party in Bengal.

These two wards are 16 and 31. Even as Supti Pandey resides in Ward 16, Sudip Bandopadhyay was trailing with 500 votes in the Lok Sabha poll in this ward. In Ward 31, TMC was trailing with 5000 votes, reportedly. TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee had formed a four-member committee for the Maniktala seat bypoll. This committee is determined to improve the results this time. It is learnt to have already identified certain pockets from where the party did not get much votes.

The party is also eyeing the residential high rises from where it could not draw much votes. Hence, this time it has included these in its campaign trail. Also, instructions have been given to interact with the residents of these high rises and listen to their grievances. This also comes in the wake of the aftermath of the Lok Sabha polls where several auto-rickshaws, with blaring DJ boxes, entered a Maniktala highrise off Ultadanga crossing under the leadership of a local party leader in reaction to the news that TMC was trailing in votes from that area. Mamata Banerjee had instructed party leaders to go and apologise to the residents.

It was learnt that the party aims to make Supti Pandey win with a 20000 vote lead. Political analysts are of the opinion that in bypolls, it is the ruling party which is usually at an advantage barring some exceptions.