TMC bags both civic body bypoll seats

Bidhan Upadhyay was elected from Asansol Municipal Corporation’s ward 6 in Paschim Bardhaman district by defeating his nearest rival of the CPI(M) by 5,477 votes, while Papai Raha of TMC won from Bangaon civic body’s ward 14 in North 24 Parganas district with a margin of 2,882 votes.

Upadhyay, the Asansol Mayor, was not elected councillor when the civic body polls were held. The TMC secured 6,683 votes, CPI(M) 1,208 and BJP 485 from the ward. He was MLA of Barabani in West Burdwan district and contested the bypoll after councillor Sanjay Banerjee resigned from his post.

The BJP candidate finished second from the Bangaon ward where the bypoll was necessitated following the death of TMC councillor Dilip Das soon after he was elected.

From the Bangaon ward, the TMC got 2,842 votes, the BJP 724 and the CPI(M) 332.

Bidhan Upadhyay said in Asansol, “The opposition parties tried everything at their disposal to defeat us, but failed. We are thankful to people that they stood with us.”

Both the BJP and CPI(M) alleged rigging and fake polling by the TMC with the help of the State Election Commission.

TMC spokesperson Jai Prakash Majumder said, “The results are on expected lines. They show that despite sustained campaign by a section of the media and propaganda by the BJP, the people of Bengal are on our side and have faith in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and our party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. No conspiracy will succeed in dislodging her

from power.”

The BJP, however, claimed the results did not reflect the “real situation”. Party spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “In Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation elections last year, my parents cast votes despite having died earlier. The TMC has perfected the art of fake voting and rigging and it takes place in every election under the nose of the State Election Commission, which has become a stooge of the state government.”