![](https://timesday.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/495.jpg)
KOLKATA:
Bypolls to three Assembly seats in West Bengal are being held today, exactly six months after the BJP pulled off a shock result in Lok Sabha elections in the state. After a sustained onslaught by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP tally in the state rose from 2 to 18, while that of the ruling Trinamool Congress plummeted to 22.
The three seats being voted on today are held by different parties – Karimganj belongs to the Trinamool, Kharagpur to the BJP and Kaliaganj to the Congress.
The Kaliaganj seat fell vacant after the death of sitting MLA Parmatha Nath Ray. Elections to the other two were ordered after the MLAs (Mohua Moitra of the Trinamool and Dilip Ghosh of the BJP) were voted to parliament in April-May elections.
The Left and the Congress have reached an agreement in these bypolls – the Left has fielded a candidate from Karimpur while the Congress is contesting the other two.
Although it is only three seats that are being contested, these polls are important for the Trinamool Congress. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come under pressure from a BJP that is growing increasingly influential in the state. And with 18 months to go for full Assembly elections in the state, these bypolls could indicate an early trend.
It is also a test for master poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been credited with YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sweep in Andhra Pradesh earlier this year. After winning over 150 of 175 assembly constituencies, Jagan Reddy took power in the state for the first time.
Mr Kishor’s “Didi ke bolo (Tell Didi)” campaign, which received over 10 lakh responses within a month of its launch back in August, needs to show results before state elections expected in 2021.
During the campaign’s launch, Ms Banerjee had said that more than 1,000 party leaders will reach out to people in 10,000 villages in Bengal and address problems of the people there.
The initiative, however, has also forced party leaders to face uncomfortable questions about allegations of extortion and cut money.
Enter the text or HTML code here