Comfortable win for TMC in Bengal bypoll

KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday wrested West Bengal’s Sabang assembly constituency from the Congress in a by-election, regarded crucial for the ruling party hit by the recent desertion of its former general secretary Mukul Roy.

TMC candidate Gita Rani Bhunia won by a margin of 64,192 votes over her nearest rival Rita Mondal of the Left Front-backed Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

BJP aspirant Antara Bhattacharyya finished third while Chiranjib Bhowmick of Congress, which had won the seat in last year’s assembly polls, was fourth.

The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Congress legislator Manas Bhunia after he crossed over to the TMC.

TMC candidate Gita Rani is Bhunia’s wife.

Though the ruling party’s victory was almost certain, the bypoll drew attention as it was to be seen whether the BJP could make any significant gain after Roy joined. Political observers were keen to see if Roy could make a dent in the TMC vote base.

Roy, now one of the prime faces of the state BJP, camped in the constituency with his team for several days in the run-up to the elections. The BJP also poached on the CPI (M) fielding the latter’s former Zila Parishad chairperson Bhattacharya as its nominee. “The result will be encouraging for the Left and discouraging for the BJP ahead of the panchayat elections due next year,” said political analyst Amal Mukhopadhyay.