TMC’s Sagardighi bypoll loss: An outcome of internal conflicts and disconnect with local voters

West Bengal’s ruling party, Trinamool Congress (TMC), suffered a major setback in the Sagardighi bypoll held on February 27, 2023, after Congress and CPI(M) backed candidate Bayron Biswas won the election. TMC’s defeat has been attributed to multiple factors, including inner conflicts among party leaders, a lack of awareness about welfare schemes, and a lack of local connection between the voters and the party’s candidate.

According to a senior TMC leader, the main cause of the party’s defeat was the inner conflict between party leaders. Due to the infighting, a large chunk of supporters and leaders were sitting idle during the polling and did not actively participate in the campaign process. The review panel appointed by TMC’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee included four cabinet ministers who identified several other causes, such as the lack of awareness about welfare schemes launched by the state government among the voters.

Another key factor identified was the lack of a local connection between the voters and TMC’s candidate, Debashish Banerjee, who was a distant cousin of the chief minister. On the other hand, Congress’ Bayron Biswas was a well-known local leader and enjoyed greater support among the voters. The high-handedness of police and central forces was also identified as a major cause of the defeat.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of TMC MLA Subrata Saha, and TMC’s defeat in the bypoll has given a boost to Congress and the Left Front ahead of the coming panchayat elections. The most concerning takeaway for the ruling party was the fall in its vote share from 50.95 per cent in the 2021 Assembly polls to 34.94 per cent, despite the state government rolling out several welfare schemes. The fact that the vote share plummeted in an Assembly seat with almost 63 per cent of Muslims indicates that a significant portion of the minority community’s votes went against TMC.

In conclusion, TMC’s defeat in the Sagardighi bypoll has highlighted several challenges that the party needs to address ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections. Addressing the issue of inner conflicts among party leaders and establishing a stronger local connection with voters should be TMC’s top priorities if it hopes to retain power in the state.