The Trinamool Congress on Thursday announced three candidates for by-elections to the Legislative Assembly in West Bengal. The party named Madan Mitra, a former West Bengal minister and an accused in Saradha Scam as its candidate from Bhatpara Assembly Seat. While Amal Kishku has been named from Habilpur Assembly Seat, Abdul Karim for by-polls in Islampur assembly seat.
The TMC’s move to name Madan Mitra from Islampur Assembly Seat is seen as an attempt to rehabilitate him who is an accused Saradha Scam.
The Poll Body had on April 20 declared the dates for by-polls in 5 assembly seats of West Bengal. As per the election commission, the assembly seats of – Islampur, Kandi, Nowda, Habibpur and Bhatpara – will go to polls on May 19. The last date to file nomination for the by-polls is May 1.
READ: Congress announces Candidates on three assembly seats for by-polls in West Bengal
By-elections in the Islampur necessitated after sitting MLA from the Assembly Seat Kanaialal Agarwal has been named by the TMC for national elections. Aggarwal had won the seat contesting on Congress Ticket by defeating TMC’s Abdul Karim Chaudhary with over 8,000 votes. However, in a run-up to the national elections has joined TMC.
In Islampur Seat, TMC Abdul Karim will take on Alhaj Muzaffar Hussain of Congress. In Bhatpara, TMC’s Madan Mitra will contest against Congress’ Khwaja Ahmed Hussain. The party nominee Amal Kishku from Hapilpur will take on Congress Rejina Murmu.
While Habibpur and Bhatpara seats fell vacant after CPI-M‘s Khagen Murmu and TMC’s Arjun Singh joined BJP and resigned as MLAs.
While the other two seats – Kandi and Nowda fell vacant after the sitting Lawmaker from Congress’ Abu Taher Khan and Apurba Sarkar joined Trinamool Congress and resigned as the MLA from the West Bengal Assembly.
Counting of votes will be held on 23rd of May along with the counting for national elections 2019.
While the National Elections have already started and would spread across all seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Ten Lok Sabha Seats of West Bengal including Cooch Behar, Raiganj, Murshidabad, Maldaha among others have voted already voted in first three rounds of Polling.
West Bengal has a total of 42 Lok Sabha Seat and will the voting in the state will spread across on all seven phases till May 19.
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