West Bengal bypolls: Congress announces candidates for six assembly constituencies

Kolkata: The Congress on Tuesday announced candidates for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal where bypolls will be held on November 13.

The Congress nominees for the bypolls are Paresh Nath Sarkar for Naihati and Habib Reza Chowdhury for Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Bikash Champro Mary for Madarihat in Alipurduar, Shyamal Kumar Ghosh for Medinipur in West Medinipur, Tusharkanti Sannigrahi for Taldangra in Bankura, and Harihar Roy Singha for Sitai in Cooch Behar district.

The electoral contest is expected to be a litmus test for all major political parties following the doctors' protests over the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The stage is set for a four-cornered contest, as the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had fought elections in alliance with the Congress in previous polls since 2021, announced candidates for five seats on Monday, including one for the CPI(ML).

The Left Front is likely to support the Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate in the Haroa seat. The ruling TMC and the BJP had earlier announced candidates for all six assembly segments.

These bypolls will be held due to the resignations of sitting MLAs following their victories in this year's Lok Sabha elections.

The TMC won five of these seats in the 2021 assembly polls, with the exception of Madarihat, which was held by the BJP.

Junior doctors began a cease work on August 9 after the alleged rape and murder of the woman medic at RG Kar hospital.

They started a fast-unto-death on October 5 after nearly 50 days of cease work in two phases.

Agitating junior doctors withdrew their two-week-long fast on Monday evening, after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.