Manoj Kumar Biswas Accuses TMC of Disrupting Voting in Ranaghat Dakshin By-Polls

Nadia (West Bengal) [India], July 10: Manoj Kumar Biswas, the BJP candidate for Ranaghat Dakshin, accused the ruling TMC of creating chaos to prevent voters from exercising their rights freely during the by-polls. The elections were held in Ranaghat Dakshin, Raiganj, Bagda, and Maniktala.

Biswas stated, “Ranaghat Dakshin is BJP’s area. It has been proven again and again. There is tremendous enthusiasm among the voters. I am confident that in this election, voters will again make us win but the fact is that TMC, supported by the administration with criminal personnel, is trying to create a chaotic situation so that no voter comes to the voting centre.” He added, “They are threatening our voters and workers. A free and fair election is not possible in West Bengal because the government does not want it.”

The by-polls were necessary because BJP MLAs who won these constituencies in the 2021 election switched to TMC. The TMC won the Maniktala seat in 2021, but the sitting MLA, Sadhan Pandey, died in February 2022, necessitating the election. Mukut Mani Adhikari, whose resignation as MLA necessitated the election, is the TMC candidate in Ranaghat Dakshin.

Both BJP and TMC see these by-polls as high-stakes elections. TMC aims to continue its momentum from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while BJP seeks to reclaim its strongholds. TMC won 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, up from 22 in 2019, while BJP’s tally decreased from 18 to 12.

By-polls were also held in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh, covering 13 Assembly constituencies. Voting started at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm.