Bypolls are being held in three seats in West Bengal – Bhabnipur, Samserganj and Jangirpur in Murshidabad district of South Kolkata and Pipili in Odisha. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been imposed within 200 meters of polling stations.
The bypoll in Bhabnipur assembly constituency is being seen as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is not an MLA from here, is contesting from here.
Voting began at 7 am today. Counting of votes will take place on October 3.
The Bhawanipur bypoll has turned into a battle of prestige for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently not an MLA.
Notably, Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram constituency in the assembly elections held earlier this year.
Subsequently, West Bengal Agriculture Minister Shobhandev Chattopadhyay had vacated the Bhabanipur assembly seat in May, giving way to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest from the Bhabanipur seat to continue in her post.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded 41-year-old Priyanka Tibrewal against the TMC supremo.
A lawyer by profession, Tibrewal is the vice-president of the West Bengal unit of BJP Yuva Morcha. He is also a petitioner in the Calcutta High Court against the post-poll violence in the state. Notably, the High Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into the violence in West Bengal after the assembly elections.
Voting in Samserganj could not be held on 26 April due to the death of Congress candidate Rezaul Haque during the seventh phase of elections in West Bengal.
Similarly, polling could not be held in Jangipur due to the death of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) candidate from Pradeep Nandi.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC registered a landslide victory by winning 213 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. The BJP lost the election but emerged as the second largest party with 77 seats.
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