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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Peaceful bypolls in five assembly seats
Polling for five assembly bypolls held in four states remained by and large peaceful with webcasting done at all but one polling station. Webcasting was implemented for the first time in 1,353 of the 1,354 polling stations set up across four states, the poll authority said. The bypolls were held in one assembly segment each in Punjab, West Bengal, Kerala and two assembly segments in Gujarat. Brisk polling was recorded in Kaliganj by-poll in West Bengal's Nadia district with 69.85% polling recorded till 5 pm. Unlike all recent polls in Bengal, this time's polling was almost incident-free and peaceful. "There have been no major incidents in the by-poll in Kaliganj on Thursday and by far it has been a very peaceful poll," WB-CEO Manoj Agarwal told ET. The Kaliganj bypoll was necessitated following the demise of the Trinamool Congress legislator Nasiruddin Ahmed in February this year. A triangular contest among BJP, Congress and AAP - last seen in 2022 - was witnessed in Gujarat's Visavadar (Junagadh district) and Kadi (Mehsana district) by-elections. In Visavadar, a Patidar-dominated seat and BJP stronghold until 2012, AAP's Gopal Italia is in contest with BJP's Kirit Patel and Congress' Nitin Ranpariya. In Kadi (SC), the contest is between BJP candidate Rajendra Chavda, Congress's Ramesh Chavda and AAP's Jagdish Chavda. In Visavadar, the polling percentage was approximately 60%, while in Kadi it was around 57% till the last reports came in. Kerala's Nilambur assembly constituency also saw a steady turnout with 60% votes polled till around 3 pm. Key contenders here are ruling LDF pick M Swaraj, Aryadan Shoukath (Congress-led UDF), Trinamool Congress state convener and independent candidate PV Anvar, and Mohan George of the BJP-led NDA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo In Punjab, polling went on smoothly for the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll with 40% polling recorded till 3 pm. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
West Bengal bye-election: 30.6% voter turnout recorded in Kaliganj till 11am
Polling officials recorded a voter turnout of 30.6% till 11 am in the Kaliganj assembly seat bye-election as the process went on smoothly in the first half of the day in West Bengal's Nadia district on Thursday. The bye-election was necessitated due to the sudden demise of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed in February this year. Counting of votes will be held on June 23. 'Voting was going on peacefully with no reports of any untoward incidents,' said a poll panel official in West Bengal. While the ruling TMC has fielded Alifa Ahmed, daughter of the former MLA and an IT engineer by profession, the BJP has fielded Ashis Ghosh, a businessman, as its candidate. The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded Kabil Uddin Shaikh with the support of the CPI(M). Kaliganj has a Muslim voter population of around 54%, along with SCs (14%) and STs (0.42%). It is predominantly rural, with more than 90% rural and around 9% urban population, as per Census 2011. The TMC had first won the seat in 2011 after it came to power ending the 34-year-old Left regime when Nasiruddin Ahmed was elected. In 2016, he lost the seat to Congress-CPM alliance candidate Sheikh Hasanuzzaman. However, Hasanuzzaman later joined Trinamool. Nasiruddin reclaimed the Kaliganj seat in the 2021 Assembly polls. The seat fell vacant after his demise. The bye-election is being seen as a litmus test for both the ruling TMC and its arch rival the BJP ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bengal Kaliganj bypoll: Identity politics, Murshidabad riot takes center stage
The Kaliganj assembly bypoll in West Bengal's Nadia district is shaping up to be a triangular contest among the TMC, BJP, and Congress-Left alliance, with identity politics, post-Murshidabad riot anxieties and a nationalist surge after Operation Sindoor set to dominate the electoral discourse. This is the first election in West Bengal since Operation Sindoor, India's military action launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack, involving targeted air and ground strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation has added a national security layer to the electoral narrative, particularly in the BJP's campaign in the minority-dominated seat. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed earlier this year. Voting will take place on June 19, and counting will be held on June 23. The ruling TMC has fielded his daughter Alifa Ahmed, a 38-year-old BTech graduate and corporate professional, as its candidate. 'Many people, including colleagues, asked me why I left a successful corporate career to join politics. But after my father's death, the responsibility of fulfilling his unfulfilled dreams fell on me. With the blessings of our party leader Mamata Banerjee and in response to the call of the people of Kaliganj, I have stepped into this role,' Alifa said after filing her nomination. The BJP has nominated Ashis Ghosh, a local panchayat member and former mandal president. 'Ghosh is a loyal and dedicated party worker, who will play an important role in fighting against the misrule of the TMC in the area,' asserted BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar. Kabil Uddin Sheikh has been named the Congress candidate, with backing from the CPI(M)-led Left Front, following a series of discussions. Despite initial claims from the CPI(M) that it would contest due to its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2023 panchayat elections, the RSP – a key Left ally with a historical claim to the seat – agreed to back the Congress for the sake of alliance unity. 'We fought well in Kaliganj during the panchayat and Lok Sabha elections. In 2016, the Congress won the seat as part of the Left alliance. If we field a joint candidate now, we can defeat both TMC and BJP,' CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said. Kaliganj has a Muslim voter population of around 54 per cent, along with SCs (14.43 per cent) and STs (0.42 per cent). It is predominantly rural, with 90.67 per cent rural and 9.33 per cent urban population, as per the 2011 Census. The bypoll is also being closely watched due to the recent Murshidabad riots in which three persons were killed and several people rendered homeless, discontent over the SSC recruitment scam, and the changing electoral arithmetic since the 2024 general elections. In Kaliganj, identity and legacy remain central to the electoral battle. While the TMC has accused the BJP of communal polarisation, the Murshidabad riots and sporadic communal skirmishes in parts of the state have only added fuel to the saffron party's campaign in its bid to break the Trinamool Congress stronghold on this minority-dominated seat. 'The BJP thrives on dividing communities, but Kaliganj stands united. People here have rejected communal hatred time and again, and they will do so once more,' Alifa Ahmed said. The BJP, meanwhile, has declared the contest as a fight against corruption and appeasement. 'The TMC is playing appeasement politics in the name of minority welfare. We want equal development for all without vote bank politics,' said Majumdar. Since the 2021 assembly elections, the opposition BJP has tasted defeat in every bypoll held in West Bengal. 'This election is not about Hindu or Muslim. It's about good governance, something the TMC has failed to deliver. The people of Kaliganj will give a befitting reply to the party for its misrule and corruption,' added Ghosh. Once a Congress stronghold, the seat has swung across party lines – with the RSP winning four times during the Left Front era, Congress victories in 1987, 1991, and 1996, a TMC win in 2011, and a Congress-Left win in 2016. The Congress MLA later defected to the TMC. The TMC reclaimed the seat in 2021 with over 54 per cent of the votes, against BJP's 31 per cent and Congress' 12 per cent. Political scientist Maidul Islam told PTI that both the TMC and the BJP are likely to rely heavily on identity politics in the upcoming bypoll. "After the Murshidabad riots, both parties will make identity politics a key part of their campaign. Following Operation Sindoor, the BJP will also try to tap into nationalist sentiments, while the TMC will highlight its support for the government, but raise questions about the Centre's failure in preventing the Pahalgam terror attack," he said. To ensure peaceful polling, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, has announced the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The results of the bypoll is expected to offer key insights into the evolving political trends ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in the state.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Bengal: Kaliganj bypoll to put into focus identity politics, legally battles, nationalist surge
The operation has added a national security layer to the electoral narrative, particularly in the BJP's campaign in the minority-dominated seat. This is the first election in West Bengal since Operation Sindoor, India's military action launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack, involving targeted air and ground strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) The Kaliganj assembly bypoll in West Bengal's Nadia district is shaping up to be a triangular contest among the TMC, BJP, and Congress-Left alliance, with identity politics, post-Murshidabad riot anxieties and a nationalist surge after Operation Sindoor set to dominate the electoral discourse. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed earlier this year. Voting will take place on June 19, and counting will be held on June 23. The ruling TMC has fielded his daughter Alifa Ahmed, a 38-year-old BTech graduate and corporate professional, as its candidate. 'Many people, including colleagues, asked me why I left a successful corporate career to join politics. But after my father's death, the responsibility of fulfilling his unfulfilled dreams fell on me. With the blessings of our party leader Mamata Banerjee and in response to the call of the people of Kaliganj, I have stepped into this role,' Alifa said after filing her nomination. The BJP has nominated Ashis Ghosh, a local panchayat member and former mandal president. 'Ghosh is a loyal and dedicated party worker, who will play an important role in fighting against the misrule of the TMC in the area,' asserted BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar. Kabil Uddin Sheikh has been named the Congress candidate, with backing from the CPI(M)-led Left Front, following a series of discussions. Despite initial claims from the CPI(M) that it would contest due to its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2023 panchayat elections, the RSP – a key Left ally with a historical claim to the seat – agreed to back the Congress for the sake of alliance unity. 'We fought well in Kaliganj during the panchayat and Lok Sabha elections. In 2016, the Congress won the seat as part of the Left alliance. If we field a joint candidate now, we can defeat both TMC and BJP,' CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said. Kaliganj has a Muslim voter population of around 54 per cent, along with SCs (14.43 per cent) and STs (0.42 per cent). It is predominantly rural, with 90.67 per cent rural and 9.33 per cent urban population, as per the 2011 Census. The bypoll is also being closely watched due to the recent Murshidabad riots in which three persons were killed and several people rendered homeless, discontent over the SSC recruitment scam, and the changing electoral arithmetic since the 2024 general elections. In Kaliganj, identity and legacy remain central to the electoral battle. While the TMC has accused the BJP of communal polarisation, the Murshidabad riots and sporadic communal skirmishes in parts of the state have only added fuel to the saffron party's campaign in its bid to break the Trinamool Congress stronghold on this minority-dominated seat. 'The BJP thrives on dividing communities, but Kaliganj stands united. People here have rejected communal hatred time and again, and they will do so once more,' Alifa Ahmed said. The BJP, meanwhile, has declared the contest as a fight against corruption and appeasement. 'The TMC is playing appeasement politics in the name of minority welfare. We want equal development for all without vote bank politics,' said Majumdar. Since the 2021 assembly elections, the opposition BJP has tasted defeat in every bypoll held in West Bengal. 'This election is not about Hindu or Muslim. It's about good governance, something the TMC has failed to deliver. The people of Kaliganj will give a befitting reply to the party for its misrule and corruption,' added Ghosh. Once a Congress stronghold, the seat has swung across party lines – with the RSP winning four times during the Left Front era, Congress victories in 1987, 1991, and 1996, a TMC win in 2011, and a Congress-Left win in 2016. The Congress MLA later defected to the TMC. The TMC reclaimed the seat in 2021 with over 54 per cent of the votes, against BJP's 31 per cent and Congress' 12 per cent. Political scientist Maidul Islam told PTI that both the TMC and the BJP are likely to rely heavily on identity politics in the upcoming bypoll. 'After the Murshidabad riots, both parties will make identity politics a key part of their campaign. Following Operation Sindoor, the BJP will also try to tap into nationalist sentiments, while the TMC will highlight its support for the government, but raise questions about the Centre's failure in preventing the Pahalgam terror attack,' he said. To ensure peaceful polling, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, has announced the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The results of the bypoll is expected to offer key insights into the evolving political trends ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in the state. PTI PNT RBT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Bengal: Kaliganj bypoll to put into focus identity politics, legacy battles, nationalist surge
The operation has added a national security layer to the electoral narrative, particularly in the BJP's campaign in the minority-dominated seat. This is the first election in West Bengal since Operation Sindoor, India's military action launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack, involving targeted air and ground strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) The Kaliganj assembly bypoll in West Bengal's Nadia district is shaping up to be a triangular contest among the TMC, BJP, and Congress-Left alliance, with identity politics, post-Murshidabad riot anxieties and a nationalist surge after Operation Sindoor set to dominate the electoral discourse. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed earlier this year. Voting will take place on June 19, and counting will be held on June 23. The ruling TMC has fielded his daughter Alifa Ahmed, a 38-year-old BTech graduate and corporate professional, as its candidate. 'Many people, including colleagues, asked me why I left a successful corporate career to join politics. But after my father's death, the responsibility of fulfilling his unfulfilled dreams fell on me. With the blessings of our party leader Mamata Banerjee and in response to the call of the people of Kaliganj, I have stepped into this role,' Alifa said after filing her nomination. The BJP has nominated Ashis Ghosh, a local panchayat member and former mandal president. 'Ghosh is a loyal and dedicated party worker, who will play an important role in fighting against the misrule of the TMC in the area,' asserted BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar. Kabil Uddin Sheikh has been named the Congress candidate, with backing from the CPI(M)-led Left Front, following a series of discussions. Despite initial claims from the CPI(M) that it would contest due to its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2023 panchayat elections, the RSP – a key Left ally with a historical claim to the seat – agreed to back the Congress for the sake of alliance unity. 'We fought well in Kaliganj during the panchayat and Lok Sabha elections. In 2016, the Congress won the seat as part of the Left alliance. If we field a joint candidate now, we can defeat both TMC and BJP,' CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said. Kaliganj has a Muslim voter population of around 54 per cent, along with SCs (14.43 per cent) and STs (0.42 per cent). It is predominantly rural, with 90.67 per cent rural and 9.33 per cent urban population, as per the 2011 Census. The bypoll is also being closely watched due to the recent Murshidabad riots in which three persons were killed and several people rendered homeless, discontent over the SSC recruitment scam, and the changing electoral arithmetic since the 2024 general elections. In Kaliganj, identity and legacy remain central to the electoral battle. While the TMC has accused the BJP of communal polarisation, the Murshidabad riots and sporadic communal skirmishes in parts of the state have only added fuel to the saffron party's campaign in its bid to break the Trinamool Congress stronghold on this minority-dominated seat. 'The BJP thrives on dividing communities, but Kaliganj stands united. People here have rejected communal hatred time and again, and they will do so once more,' Alifa Ahmed said. The BJP, meanwhile, has declared the contest as a fight against corruption and appeasement. 'The TMC is playing appeasement politics in the name of minority welfare. We want equal development for all without vote bank politics,' said Majumdar. Since the 2021 assembly elections, the opposition BJP has tasted defeat in every bypoll held in West Bengal. 'This election is not about Hindu or Muslim. It's about good governance, something the TMC has failed to deliver. The people of Kaliganj will give a befitting reply to the party for its misrule and corruption,' added Ghosh. Once a Congress stronghold, the seat has swung across party lines – with the RSP winning four times during the Left Front era, Congress victories in 1987, 1991, and 1996, a TMC win in 2011, and a Congress-Left win in 2016. The Congress MLA later defected to the TMC. The TMC reclaimed the seat in 2021 with over 54 per cent of the votes, against BJP's 31 per cent and Congress' 12 per cent. Political scientist Maidul Islam told PTI that both the TMC and the BJP are likely to rely heavily on identity politics in the upcoming bypoll. 'After the Murshidabad riots, both parties will make identity politics a key part of their campaign. Following Operation Sindoor, the BJP will also try to tap into nationalist sentiments, while the TMC will highlight its support for the government, but raise questions about the Centre's failure in preventing the Pahalgam terror attack,' he said. To ensure peaceful polling, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, has announced the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The results of the bypoll is expected to offer key insights into the evolving political trends ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in the state. PTI PNT RBT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
