Bengal: Kaliganj bypoll to put into focus identity politics, legally battles, nationalist surge

The Print

4 hours ago

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.