CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: With the results of the 18th Lok Sabha polls still fresh, West Bengal is gearing up for by-elections in four assembly constituencies on July 10. The BJP declared its candidates on Monday and with that, all major parties have now fielded their faces for the polls in Maniktala, Raiganj, Ranaghat-Dakshin and Bagdah assembly constituencies.
Elections have become necessary in Raiganj and Ranaghat-Dakshin after the seats were vacated by sitting BJP MLAs Krishna Kalyani and Mukut Mani Adhikari respectively; both switched to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. Kalyani and Adhikari unsuccessfully contested the general elections on TMC tickets from Raiganj and Ranaghat Lok Sabha constituencies.
Similarly, incumbent BJP MLA from Bagdah Biswajit Das left the saffron party before the general elections. He resigned as a legislator as the TMC nominated him from the Bangaon parliamentary seat. He too lost to the BJP candidate. Meanwhile, Maniktala has been without a legislator for over two years following the death of TMC incumbent Sadhan Pande in 2022.
Trinamool has refielded Kalyani from Raiganj and Adhikari from Ranaghat-Dakshin, a seat with significant Matua population in Nadia. The BJP was leading in both the assembly segments in the 2024 general elections.