BJP announces candidates for assembly bypolls in West Bengal

Representational Pic/File

The BJP on Saturday announced candidates for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal where bypolls will be held on November 13, with the electoral contest expected to be a litmus test for all political parties amid ongoing doctors' protests over the RG Kar incident.

The ruling TMC, along with the opposition Left Front and Congress, were yet to announce their candidates.

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The constituencies going to polls in November include Madarihat in Alipurduar district, Sitai in Cooch Behar, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Taldangra in Bankura, and Medinipur in Paschim Medinipur district.

BJP nominated Rupak Mitra for Naihati, Bimal Das for Haroa, Rahul Lohar for Madarihat, Subhajit Roy for Medinipur, Ananya Roy Chakraborty for Taldangra and Dipak Kumar Roy for Sitai.

Because of the resignations of sitting MLAs following their win in this year's Lok Sabha elections, all six constituencies are holding bypolls, with the TMC having won five of these seats in the 2021 assembly polls, except for Madarihat, which was held by the BJP.

"We are confident of retaining the Madarihat seat and winning the remaining five seats. The people of the state are fed up with the misrule of the TMC and after the RG Kar incident, the state government stands exposed," BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.

The bypolls will be the first litmus test for all the major political parties, especially the TMC, the BJP, and the CPI(M), following the two-month-long protests by doctors seeking justice for their colleague in the RG Kar case.

Junior doctors began a 'cease-work' strike on August 9 after the alleged rape and murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Hospital, transitioning to a hunger strike on October 5 after nearly 50 days of 'cease work' in two phases.

They have been on a fast-unto-death for the past 15 days, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure.

As of now, six doctors participating in the hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while eight others remain on an indefinite fast, urging the state government to take constructive action by October 21 to resolve the situation.

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