By-election results and assembly poll results in Bengal: After Bhabanipur by-election,TMC wins in Jangipur, Samsergang

The Chief Minister of West Bengal has won by more than 58,000 votes in Bhabanipur. Meanwhile, Srijib Biswas, CPIM leader, scored 4,201 votes. According to Mamata Banerjee, Bhabanipur has responded appropriately to the “Nandigram conspiracy.”  

BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal has conceded defeat, claiming that Mamata did not get 1 lakh votes as promised.

In a tweet, Tibrewal said that she appreciates the affection of the people and the tremendous efforts of her party’s leaders and workers, who put in many times more effort than she does.

She wants to express her profound gratitude; her commitment to serving people renewed with greater vigour.

After losing the Nandigram election to BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee, defeated in the assembly polls, ran for re-election in Bhabanipur to stay the chief minister of Bengal. While the opposition camps were in open conflict in Bhabanipur, 57% of voters voted.  

Meanwhile, Jakir Hossain, representing the Trinamool Congress in Jangipur, garnered some 1,36,444 votes, while his closest rival, BJP candidate Sujit Das, garnered some 43,964. In the end, Hossain won by a margin of 92,480 votes.

The only candidate to reach the four-figure mark was Jane Alam Mian of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. 

TMC candidate Amirul Islam in Samserganj got 96,417 votes, while his nearest rival, Zaidur Rahaman, garnered 70,038, according to the Associated Press. Murshidabad had been considered a Congress stronghold.

As a result of the TMC winning all assembly seats in the district, West Bengal has become a problematic state for Congress. 

Samserganj and Jangipur had equally impressive margins of victory. First time in decades, Murshidabad appears to be emerging from Congress’s control.

In typical by-elections, the ruling party wins typically, but Mamata has gained the public’s trust again with her populist plans. Moreover, this victory will increase Didi’s credibility as a contender for the 2024 elections against the Modi-led BJP.  

It was clear that Trinamool Congress would reach out to other states after it won a thumping victory in the assembly elections with 213 seats in the 294-member assembly of West Bengal. 

It’s all because of: 

Plans that appeal to the populists 

Although her party won the assembly elections, Mamata’s populist campaigns continued. Her programs have reached both the rural and urban poor, providing foodgrains or water, roads or healthcare.

Voters have reacted positively to the government’s decision to give aid to Durga Puja committees, and this has resulted in a great deal of public support for her. 

A BJP organization plagued by weaknesses

The party in power tends to win bye-elections more often than not. In Bhabanipur, however, the BJP also fell short.

Political analysts believe the BJP knew all along that defeating Mamata in her bastion was impossible, despite carpet-bombing the constituency with central leaders. It sent out a wrong message to the electorate when Dilip Ghosh was removed from office as Bengal BJP chief while campaigning. 

The ‘Bengal’s daughter factor 

Mamata fought from Nandigram and lost to Suvendu Adhikari by less than 2,000 votes. However, her presence in the region had helped Trinamool gain seats in East and West Midnapore, considered the stronghold of the Adhikari family.

The BJP, however, campaigned that Mamata had decided to contest from Nandigram as she feared a defeat in Bhabanipur. All these evoked sympathies for Mamata, the ‘daughter of Bengal’.

Many even believed that foul play was involved in the counting at Nandigram, as propagated by some Trinamool leaders. 

What are the Next steps for Mamata? 

Several anti-BJP regional stalwarts enjoy good relations with Mamata, including Sharad Pawar and HD Kumaraswamy.

Despite several candidates wanting to lead this so-called ‘Third Front,’ the Trinamool supremo will look to drum up support for her given Bengal’s stunning victory. Mamata is the only one capable of stopping the BJP’s juggernaut across India, said many.

Now that Bengal is firmly in Mamata’s grasp, she plans to move on to different metropolitan and Tier-II cities in India to expand her audience.

In addition to Assam, Rajasthan, and Punjab, Trinamool insiders say she may speak in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Her first speeches maybe after the UP elections. In the end, a Trinamool leader believes the fight will be between Modi and Mamata, rather than between Modi and Rahul Gandhi.