TMC wrests Dhupguri seat from BJP, CPI(M)-Cong alliance out of race
Jalpaiguri: After several rounds of counting where the votes kept swinging between the two parties, Trinamool Congress (TMC) wrested the Dhupguri Assembly seat from the BJP on Friday with its candidate winning by a margin of 4,309 votes.
The ruling party candidate, Dr. Nirmal Chandra Roy, secured 97,613 votes while BJP’s Tapashi Roy received 93,304 votes. The CPI(M)-Congress alliance quickly dropped out of the race. CPI(M) candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy received 13,758 votes, around 600 more than what the party got in the seat in 2021 Assembly polls.
TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee dubbed it a “People’s victory” as her party switched into celebration mode.
“I thank the people of Dhupguri for reposing faith in us and voting decisively in our favour in this critical by-election to this Assembly constituency. People in North Bengal have been with us, and trusted in our strategy of growth, inclusiveness and empowerment. Bengal has shown its mandate, and soon INDIA too will show its preference” wrote Mamata Banerjee in her X account.
“Thank you Dhupguri, for embracing the politics of development over hatred and bigotry. Saluting every AITC worker for their tireless efforts in connecting with the people. We’re committed to leaving no stone unturned in ensuring Dhupuri’s all-round development” wrote AITC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on X.
Counting was held at the second campus of North Bengal University in Jalpaiguri on Friday.
In the initial round, BJP’s Tapashi Roy took the lead in the postal ballot count. In the subsequent two rounds of EVM counting, Roy gained a lead of nearly a thousand votes. Over time, she began to fall back with Trinamool jumping to the lead. After the fifth round, the BJP candidate consistently fell behind in the vote tally.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, Bishnu Pada Roy, representing the BJP, won the Dhupguri seat against Trinamool by a margin of 4,435 votes.
Exactly two and a half years later, this seat went back to Trinamool’s control in the by-election.
The by-election was necessitated by the passing of Bishnu Pada Roy, the MLA from Dhupguri, on July 25, due to health issues.
The Dhupguri bypolls became a fight for prestige for both parties which became evident from the high-profile campaigning witnessed in Dhupguri.
At the end of the counting on Friday, even the tea gardens that had turned away from Trinamool in the last election voted in favour of the ruling party.
With few exceptions, almost all the Gram Panchayats, including Dhupguri town, voted in favour of Trinamool. Experts suggest that Abhishek Bandopadhyay’s announcement to make Dhupaguri a separate subdivision played a pivotal role.
Trinamool’s victory can also be attributed to initiatives such as increased wages for tea workers in tea plantations, the ‘Cha Sundori’ housing scheme, along with land right documents for tea garden workers, which resonated among the electorate.
Gautam Deb, the chairman of the Jalpaiguri District Trinamool Election Committee, remarked after the victory: “People have voted in favour of development, rejecting divisive politics. This election result is a major setback for those who engage in divisive politics.”
District Trinamool President Mahua Gope said: “Despite the BJP’s attempts to exploit issues such as the Rajbanshi and Matua votes, it’s evident that the people didn’t fall into their trap.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had sincerely worked for both the Rajbanshis and Matua to uplift education, culture and language.” In response to the defeat, district BJP General Secretary Shyam Prasad opined that by-elections usually favour the ruling party and stated that BJP would respect the people’s decision.
In the bypolls, BJP trailed in the Banarhat area. The party claimed that they got over 3,000 votes less than in the last Assembly election. This entire issue will undergo a comprehensive review, stated party leaders.
