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    West Bengal By-Elections: TMC Faces Challenge Amid RG Kar Protests and Political Contest

    Kolkata: The by-elections for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal, scheduled for Wednesday, are shaping up to be a major political test for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The elections come amid widespread protests triggered by the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This incident has sparked months of agitation by junior doctors demanding justice and reforms in the healthcare system, which has added to the political tension just days before the polls.

    Both the ruling TMC and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded candidates for all six seats: Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST). Five of these constituencies are in the TMC’s stronghold in south Bengal, while Madarihat remains a BJP stronghold in the north. The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress are also contesting separately for the first time since 2021, following a change in the Bengal Congress leadership. The Left Front has fielded candidates for five of the six seats, while the Congress, now led by Suvankar Sarkar, has put forward candidates in all six constituencies.

    The by-elections were triggered by the resignations of MLAs who were elected to the Lok Sabha in this year’s general elections. In the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC had won five of these six constituencies, with the BJP securing Madarihat. The bypolls are expected to be a four-cornered contest, with the TMC, BJP, Left Front, and Congress all vying for control, with each party looking to capitalize on the current political climate.

    The TMC faces mounting challenges in these elections due to the RG Kar incident, which has fueled anti-incumbency sentiment, especially in urban areas. The protests have intensified the scrutiny of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration, with opposition parties accusing the TMC of failing to address public grievances. Despite this, the TMC leadership remains confident, arguing that their developmental work will secure their victories. Meanwhile, the BJP is hopeful of gaining ground, particularly in the wake of the RG Kar protests, and the Left Front is eyeing the bypolls as an opportunity to strengthen its position amidst dissatisfaction with both the TMC and the BJP.

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