Trinamool Sweeps Bengal Bypolls, Wrests Seat From BJP After 8 Years

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress appears set to sweep the West Bengal assembly by-elections. This includes the Madarihat constituency in Alipurduar district, which had gone to the BJP in the 2021 and 2016 elections. Trinamool candidates have already been declared winners in Sitai, Madarihat, Haroa, Naihati and Medinipur while counting is underway in Taldangra.

Sangita Roy won in Sitai by a 1.3 lakh margin, bagging over 1.6 lakh votes against the BJP’s Dipak Kumar Ray, who could manage to win just 35,000 votes. In Madarihat, BJP’s Rahul Lohar conceded the election to Jayprakash Toppo by over 28,000 votes while Sanat Dey in Naihati defeated the BJP’s Rupak Mitra by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes. In Haroa, Trinamool’s Sheikh Rabiul Islam defeated AISF’s Piyarul Islam by over 1.3 lakh votes.

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In Medinipur, Trinamool’s Sujoy Hazra has defeated his BJP rival Subhajit Roy by nearly 34,000 votes.

In Taldangra, Falguni Singhababu of the Trinamool is leading by over 25,000 votes as three rounds of counting remain. He has won 72,000 votes so far as against his BJP rival Ananya Roy Chakraborty, who has managed to win about 46,000 votes.

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Trinamool workers have already started celebrations, including in front of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s house in south Kolkata. They say the election results have rejected Opposition attempts to defame the government over the RG Kar hospital rape and murder case.

Mamata Banerjee has congratulated her supporters, saying, “Your blessings inspire us to work for the people. We all are common people. That’s our identity. We are not zamindar. We are pahadadar (guards).”

Votes are being counted for a total of 48 assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies across 15 states. All results – including those for Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections – will be declared today.