Kaliganj, June 23: In a resounding victory for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Alifa Ahmed has secured the Kaliganj Assembly seat in a by-election on Monday, a result that further solidifies the party’s dominance in the state. Ahmed, the daughter of the demised ruling party MLA from Kaliganj Nasiruddin Ahmed, whose passing necessitated the poll, won by a massive margin of 50,049 votes, trouncing her closest rival, Ashish Ghosh of the BJP.
The bypoll was not merely a contest for a vacant seat; it was a test of the political landscape in a region where the BJP has been attempting to make inroads. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Alifa Ahmed garnered 1,02,759 votes, while the BJP’s Ashish Ghosh secured 52,710 votes. The Congress-Left alliance, a historical force in the state, saw its candidate, Kabil Uddin Shaikh, finish a distant third with 28,348 votes, highlighting the continued erosion of their support base.
The results are particularly telling when compared to the 2021 Assembly elections. While Alifa Ahmed received about 9,000 fewer votes than her late father, her winning margin increased significantly, from 46,987 to 50,049. This gain, analysts suggest, can be attributed to the fragmented opposition vote, with the Congress-Left and BJP failing to consolidate against the TMC. The outcome underscores the strategic political advantage held by the ruling party when facing a divided opposition.
Speaking outside the counting center, a jubilant Alifa Ahmed credited her victory to the party’s leadership and the voters of Kaliganj. “This victory is because of people’s love and faith in Mamata Banerjee’s development politics,” she stated, linking her win directly to the Chief Minister’s populist policies and personal appeal.
She also took the opportunity to counter a narrative pushed by opposition leaders. Responding to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari’s claim that Hindu voters had deserted the TMC, Ahmed was emphatic. “I do not agree. We received significant leads from some Hindu-majority areas,” she asserted. She went on to add, “We did not target votes from any particular community. We approached all voters. The results show people don’t support communal division in Bengal,” a clear political jab at the BJP’s brand of identity politics. This victory, therefore, is not just about numbers; it’s a powerful endorsement of TMC’s inclusive political agenda and a rejection of the communal polarization that has become a hallmark of opposition campaigns in the state.