KOLKATA: TMC Saturday swept assembly bypolls in Bengal, the first held after the RG Kar rape-murder. TMC won all six seats that went to vote on Nov 13, taking its tally in the 294-member state assembly to 219. The party’s “actual” majority may be starker as four opposition MLAs have consistently sided with TMC both inside and outside assembly.
CM Mamata Banerjee posted on X , “From the depths of my heart, I bow down to Ma-Mati-Manush. It is in people we keep our faith. Our only identity is that we are all common people. Not zamindars, but people’s paharadars (guards).”
While bypoll results generally align with the party in office and do not lead to any significant change in political status quo, the Nov 13 bypolls were held a little over three months after the RG Kar rape-murder. It also came in the backdrop of TMC haemorrhaging badly in urban constituencies in the 2024 LS polls. Besides, in Madarihat seat, the party was fighting a battle it had never won. Results, however, show TMC not only managed to stop the bleeding but scripted a turnaround.