Interesting contest between Kalyan Chaubey and Supti in ‘Maniktala Assembly’ by-election
Headlines
- By-election on Maniktala assembly seat of West Bengal
- BJP has fielded Kalyan Choubey
- TMC has fielded Sadhan Pandey’s wife Supti Pandey as its candidate
West Bengal Maniktala Assembly Constituency By election, By-elections are to be held on July 10 on thirteen assembly seats in different states across the country, including four seats of Maniktala, Raiganj, Ranaghat South and Bagdah in West Bengal, out of which the by-election on the Maniktala seat (Maniktala assembly by election) is considered very special.
It is noteworthy that this seat had fallen vacant after the death of TMC leader Sadhan Pandey in the year 2022, but by-elections had not been held on this seat till now, due to the petition filed by BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey alleging irregularities in voting in the 2021 assembly elections.
But later Kalyan Chaubey withdrew this petition, BJP has fielded Kalyan Chaubey while TMC has made Sadhan Pandey’s wife Supti Pandey its candidate.
An interesting contest is being considered in Maniktala
An interesting triangular by-election is going to be held in Maniktala. The by-election is being held there after the death of Trinamool Congress MLA Sadhan Pandey from Maniktala. TMC wants to win this seat on the basis of the popularity of the late MLA Sadhan Pandey, so his widow Supti Pandey has been fielded in the by-election on this seat, while the BJP has again nominated Kalyan Chaubey, who lost the election to Sadhan Pandey in 2021.
…which cleared the way for a by-election on the seat
Maniktala Assembly Constituency No. 24 is part of Kolkata North (Lok Sabha constituency). Before the 2009 Indian general election it was part of Calcutta North East (Lok Sabha constituency). The seat fell vacant due to the death of the incumbent MLA Sadhan Pandey on 20 February 2022. However, a by-election could not be held on the seat even 6 months after Pandey’s death (as per Indian law) as BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey filed an election petition in the Calcutta High Court alleging irregularities in polling and seeking a recount of votes. The Representation of the People Act, 1951 forbids the holding of any election on that seat until any election petition relating to that seat has been resolved in the Court. On 29 April 2024, Choubey withdrew his election petition from the Court, clearing the way for a by-election on the seat.