TMC seeks answers for Jalpaiguri LS loss

Jalpaiguri: The loss of the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seat has stirred concern within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), prompting calls for a thorough analysis. Many district Trinamool leaders, including Jalpaiguri Trinamool candidate Nirmal Chandra Roy, are eager to understand the reasons behind the unexpected defeat. District president Mahua Gope stated that she has personally reviewed the block-wise results and plans to convene a meeting this week to demand explanations from party leaders.

In comparison to the 2021 state Assembly elections, Trinamool garnered a significant number of votes in rural areas across several blocks, excluding the tea belt, during this Lok Sabha election. Trinamool even secured a lead in the Mekhliganj area, resulting in a decreased margin of victory for the BJP. However, polling statistics reveal a significant loss for Trinamool in the Dabgram-Phulbari and Jalpaiguri Sadar Assembly constituencies. Some district Trinamool leaders believe that substantial development work has been carried out in the district since the last Panchayat and Assembly elections, particularly in Rajganj, Dabgram Phulbari and Jalpaiguri Sadar, encompassing tourism, healthcare, and civil services. Additionally, welfare projects like Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree have been implemented. Despite these efforts, the unexpected election outcome remains a pressing question.

Dhupguri MLA and Lok Sabha candidate Nirmal Chandra Roy stated: “I have demanded that the party investigate the reasons for the defeat. We need to understand why, despite our efforts, our expectations for victory were not met.”

Acknowledging organisational deficiencies, district Trinamool president Mahua Gope explained: “Although the Dabgram-Phulbari Assembly Constituency was behind by 20,000 votes according to our calculations, the victory of the Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seat was considered certain but did not materialise. Consequently, responsibility for campaigning was divided among all the blocks, starting from

Jalpaiguri town.

However, after the vote count, an unexpected result emerged. In the Jalpaiguri municipal area, we are behind in all the wards except one. Responsibility for this was given to the town block president, starting from the chairman and vice chairman of the municipality. We will investigate whether they fulfilled their duties properly.”