Maniktala Assembly bypoll: Late minister’s legacy key to TMC success; BJP hopes to highlight post-poll violence

“I know this constituency like the back of my hand. Till now I was on the sidelines, supporting my husband in elections after elections. This time, I have entered the ring. But I don’t have to work very hard as people know very well the kind of development my husband had done under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,” said Pande.

The Maniktala constituency has been a TMC stronghold, which the party won and has held since 2011. The Assembly bypoll in Maniktala necessitated following the demise of Sadhan Pande in 2022, who served as Minister for Consumer Affairs & Self Help Group & Self-Employment. He was a three-time TMC MLA from Maniktala.

Previously, he was a Congress leader and six times elected MLA from the Burtola Assembly 2011. Pande died in Mumbai at the age of 71 after suffering from kidney ailments.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has once again fielded All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Kalyan Chaubey from Maniktala.

The former Indian footballer , who joined BJP in 2015, held a door-to-door campaign in the Kadapara area of the constituency on Thursday.

Supti held BJP candidate Chaubey responsible for delaying the bypolls, as he filed an election petition at Calcutta High Court. “I don’t know whether he can work for people. After losing the election in 2021, BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey filed an election petition. Instead of conceding defeat, he delayed the bypolls. In a way he stopped people’s work in this constituency. This is what BJP does. The party stopped central funds for Bengal,” she said.

Stating his reason for filing the petition, Chaubey said, “The election must be held peacefully. I have reports that the TMC will try to unleash violence again on July 10 to win the election. This has to end. People must understand why I had filed an election petition. I had protested against the violence and electoral malpractices. However, when I realised that people are being deprived of development then I withdrew the petition. But I’ve been misinterpreted by the ruling party.”

In the 2021 Assembly polls, Chaubey had contested from the same seat on a BJP ticket, but lost to Sadhan Pandey, by a margin of little over 20,000 votes. He challenged the result in the HC, alleging irregularities and demanding a recount of votes. As a result of the petition, a bypoll could not be held in Maniktala even after Pandey’s death in 2022. Chaubey withdrew the petition in April, paving the way for the bypoll to be held now.

Speaking to the Express, Chaubey criticised TMC for pursuing dynastic politics. “The party did not field other leaders, but chose from the same family. This shows how dynastic the TMC is. But people are tired of this politics and the kind of post-poll violence that has taken place after Lok Sabha election. I appeal to the people to change this culture and they must start this change from Maniktala,” said Chaubey.

The Congress and Left Front alliance fielded Rajib Majumdar of CPIM from Maniktala.