Kaliganj bypoll in Bengal: Trinamool announces late MLA's daughter as candidate

Kolkata, May 27 (IANS) Trinamool Congress, on Tuesday, announced the name of Alifa Ahmed as the candidate for the bypolls to the Kaliganj Assembly constituency in Nadia district of West Bengal, which is scheduled on June 19.

Alifa Ahmed (38) is the daughter of the erstwhile Trinamool Congress legislator from Kaliganj, Late Nasiruddin Ahmed, whose sudden demise in February has necessitated a bypoll.

A statement from Trinamool Congress was issued in the morning confirming her nomination for the bypolls. She is already an elected Zilla Parishad member of the Trinamool Congress in Nadia.

Political observers feel that the nomination was aimed at attracting the sympathy of the local voters in Kaliganj considering that the bypoll is perceived to be an acid test for the ruling Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid multiple controversies, including the loss of jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools and pending payment of dearness allowance dues to the government employees and others.

At the same time, the bypoll is also a challenge for the opposition BJP, and it is to be seen whether they can transfer the growing grievances of people on these issues in their favour.

On Monday, information surfaced from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, that 20 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for the Kaliganj bypoll, and the deployment will be completed by next week.

Earlier this month, on May 9, the final electoral list for Kaliganj was published. The final list featured a decrease of over 2,000 voters from the number in the 2021 Assembly polls. The final list was announced following a special summary revision by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

As per the final electoral list, the total number of voters in Kaliganj is 2,52,670.

Kaliganj is among the five Assembly constituencies in four states that will be going for bypolls on June 19. The other four being Kadi and Visavdar in Gujarat, Ludhiana-West in Punjab, and Nilambur in Kerala.

The counting will be held on June 23. The last date for making nominations is June 2, and the date for the scrutiny of nominations is June 3. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is June 5.

--IANS

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