On the banks of the once-untamed Damodar lies the Bishnupur Lok Sabha constituency, encompassing six assembly seats in Bankura district and one in Purba Bardhaman district.
The constituency, named after the historic temple town, is rich with Archaeological Survey of India sites. Today, however, it is in the news because of the fascinating electoral contest between two former spouses, Saumitra Khan and Sujata Mondal.
The BJP has renominated Khan, the 43-year-old incumbent who has won twice from this constituency reserved for scheduled castes. Mondal, 38, is the Trinamool Congress candidate.
Bishnupur, which goes to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25, has emerged as a key constituency for both parties. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bishnupur to campaign for their own candidates, recognising the importance of the constituency.
Khan and Mondal's love story began during the days of the left rule in West Bengal. Their paths crossed for the first time in 2010 when Khan was with the Congress. A year later, he was elected to the assembly from Katulpur in Bankura district when the Trinamool dethroned the left with the help of the Congress. As the Congress-Trinamool alliance broke up in 2012, he switched sides and joined Mamata's party.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool fielded Khan from Bishnupur, which was a CPI(M) stronghold for more than four decades. Despite the left losing 20 seats across West Bengal in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, signalling a major political shift, Bishnupur had remained a red zone. But Khan ended the CPI(M)'s dominance, winning the seat by more than a lakh votes.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 02, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 02, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Doctor's doctors
Internists deal with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all kinds of diseases, while also coordinating with doctors across specialties
WORK THIS OUT!
What is the true cost of a 90-hour workweek? Reduced productivity, mental health issues and severe health risks, say doctors
The experience of oppression
The British enacted several laws that might appear liberal, only to then veto the invocation of progressive measures. Nevertheless, these milestones guided the founding fathers in conceiving and creating the Constitution of India
One, two, buckle my shoe!
“Darling,” I said to my life companion of more years than I care to remember, “Do you think there is any correlation between pain in the feet and attending prayer meetings?”“You really are a stupid old man!” said the light of my life. “Can’t you think of anything more bizarre so late at night?”
A helping hand
Over the past year, Imaginarium has placed 3D-printed parts in space, in human bodies, in oil fields in the Middle East, and as drones on the Indian border
Fading federalism
One of the most visible indicators of the erosion of state autonomy is the diminishing financial independence of states
FOUNDING MOTHERS OF THE CONSTITUTION
THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN THE MAKING OF THE REPUBLIC REMAINS EXEMPLARY AND INSPIRING
Value every breath
VO2 max is the best way to measure fitness and predict life expectancy
Statutes of unity
The Constitution reminds us that national oneness comes through addressing inequalities, not enforcing uniformity
Incomplete equality
Equal marriage rights is one of the last bastions of patriarchy and to dismantle it, the recognition of marital rape as an offence is non-negotiable
