On last Sunday before Maniktala bypoll, TMC focus on wards where it trailed in LS polls

KOLKATA: Supti Pandey (66) is fighting in Maniktala — a Trinamool Congress stronghold for years — to defend the legacy of late Sadhan Pandey, the three-time MLA from the constituency, as she campaigned on the final Sunday before the bypoll this Wednesday to thwart BJP’s progress. BJP had led in two wards, and the constituency, in the recently held Lok Sabha election.
TMC had trailed at ward 16, where Pandey’s house is located, by about 500 votes and at ward 31, where Paresh Pal is the local councillor, by around 5,000 votes.

“I am confident of my victory. As the widow of the ex-representative, I am fully committed to safeguarding his legacy and carrying forward his vision. My primary focus is on preserving the work he has done for the people of this constituency. Having worked alongside my husband through multiple election campaigns, I have an intimate understanding of the needs and aspirations of this constituency,” said Pandey, who is participating in the election for the first time.
On a rain-hit Sunday, Pandey campaigned at her home ward 16 and ward 12 mostly on foot as TMC went around sloganeering with a unique campaign tone of ‘Maniktala nijer boudi kei chaay’ — in tune with CM Mamata Banerjee’s 2021 election campaign slogan of ‘Bangla nijer meyekei chaay’.
“There is significant support for Trinamool candidate Supti Pandey. BJP is facing a split ahead of the Maniktala bypoll. BJP workers from ward 16 have also joined Trinamool recently. We are confident of a landslide victory,” said Kunal Ghosh, one of the top campaigners for Pandey.
Sadhan Pandey, who held the position of minister for consumer affairs and self help group and self employment, had been elected as a TMC MLA from Maniktala for three consecutive terms since 2011.
The recent death of the sitting MLA, Pandey (71), in 2022 after suffering from kidney ailments led to the need for an assembly bypoll. In the 2021 assembly election, Pandey secured a convincing victory over his BJP rival, Kalyan Chaubey, by a margin exceeding 20,000 votes.
The BJP has once again fielded All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Chaubey from Maniktala. He had contested the outcome of the 2021 election in high court, claiming discrepancies and requesting a recounting of the ballots. Due to the petition, a bypoll in Maniktala was not possible even after Pandey passed away in 2022. In April, Chaubey retracted the petition, allowing the bypoll to take place at this time.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool was ahead of the BJP candidate by nearly 3,000 votes in Maniktala assembly segment.
“Proxy vote is prevalent in Bengal. It is even more during the bypolls. I hope the administration ensures that there is no proxy voting, false voting or violence. My case in the court was against irregularities during poll process in last assembly election. If people are allowed to vote freely, BJP will secure a win” Chaubey said.
Congress and Left Front alliance has nominated Rajib Majumdar from the CPM as its candidate.