Sabang bypoll: TMC’s Gita Rani Bhuniya wins by a margin of 64,192 votes

The CPM candidate finished second with 41,989 votes while the BJP nominee came third with 37,483 votes. The Congress candidate finished fourth with 18,063 votes and lost deposit. The bypoll was held on December 21 and saw 84.5 per cent polling.

Besides wresting the seat from the opposition, the TMC also increased its vote share by 15 per cent. Last time, it received 36.60 per cent votes and finished second. This time, it received 1,06,185 votes, 51.22 per cent of the total votes polled.

The BJP increased its vote share than last year. Having registered 2.6 per cent votes in 2016, it received 18 per cent votes this time. “We never had such a strong presence in Sabang. Despite the reign of terror unleashed by TMC, we managed to increase our vote share,” West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee told reporters, “People of Sabang voted for development. Our candidate has won the election by a margin of about 65,000 votes. The opposition parties are concerned about coming second or third. We are not concerned about who came second or third. Our aim is to continue developing the state and ensure jobs to the youth of the state. This election also proved that people have supported our party chief Mamata Banerjee for her relentless fight against anti-people policies of the central government.”

Delighted by the result, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP and former MLA Manas Bhunia said, “She has won the election by a better margin and I accept my defeat. This win is for development, for progress and for communal harmony.”

CPM state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra said, “This result proved that the Left is the main opposition party in the state and the only alternative to TMC. We are yet to get the full election result report but so far it has been established that the Left will give the ruling party a run for their money in the polls in the future.”

“In Sabang, the TMC created a reign of terror. Our polling agents could not enter in about 69 polling stations. Despite this, our comrades put up a resistance. If free and fair poll was held, we would have received more votes,” he said.