The Trinamul Congress Sunday officially announced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its candidate for the by-election in Bhabanipur.

The Trinamul Congress’ campaign in the seat in south Kolkata is already underway with the Election Commission announcing the bypoll on Saturday, following a request from the state government to avoid a constitutional crisis.

Miss Banerjee, who lost the election in Nandigram, has to win this by-poll to retain her chief minister’s post. The BJP, Congress, and CPI(M)-led Left Front are yet to announce their candidates for the bypoll. The bypoll will be held on September 30 along with the elections to two seats in Murshidabad district ~ Samserganj and Jangipur where polling could not be held during the eight-phase assembly elections earlier this year.

The counting of votes will take place on October 3. Jakir Hossain is the TMC candidate in the Jangipur seat, while Amirul Islam is contesting as the party’s candidate from Samserganj. Veteran politician Sovandeb Chattopadhyay stepped down as the TMC MLA of Bhabanipur, vacating the seat for Banerjee. Banerjee had won from Bhabanipur twice since 2011.

She had moved out of her traditional seat to fight in Nandigram during the assembly polls earlier this year but lost to her former close aide Suvendu Adhikari who contested on a BJP ticket. Adhikari is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

The notification for the Bhabanipur bypoll will be issued on September 6, beginning the nomination process. September 13 is the last date of filing nominations, while scrutiny of papers will take place on September 14. September 16 is the last date to withdraw from the electoral battle.

Meanwhile, the pending Assembly polls of two seats ~ Samsherganj and Jangipur ~ in Murshidabad district would held on 30 September, said the district magistrate, Sharad Kumar Dwivedi who is also the district election officer, Murshidabad. No roadshow and rally will be allowed during the poll campaigns this time, he informed.

Rejaul Haque, the Congress contestant from Samsherganj, died due to Covid-19 on 15 April and the disease also claimed the life of RSP candidate from Jangipur, Pradip Kumar Nandi on April 17 prompting the Election Commission to defer the elections in these two seats.

The Model Code of Conduct has already come into force, said, election officials. The electoral rolls published on 1 January 2021 would be used for the election. Addressing a press conference here today, the DEO, Sharad Dwivedi laid down the Covid compliance guidelines for those associated with the election procedures.

As part of poll campaigns, indoor meetings can be held with 30 per cent of the total seat capacity, to a maximum of 200 persons, with Covid norms followed, he said. For outdoor meetings, 50 per cent of capacity or 1,000 persons in case of star campaigners and 500 in case of other meetings is the limit, the DEO added.

The number of star campaigners for recognised parties has been limited to 20 and for other registered parties, it is 10.