Mamata Banerjee scores record victory at Bhabanipur over Priyanka Tibrewal

Mamata Banerjee surpassed the victory margin she had set in the 2011 election, winning by over 58,000 votes. In 2011, Mamata had won by a margin of over 54,000 votes.

Asianet Newsable English

Kolkata, First Published Oct 3, 2021, 2:48 PM IST

Trinamool Congress workers erupted in celebrations after party chief Mamata Banerjee won over rival Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Priyanka Tibrewal in the Bhabanipur bypoll.

Mamata surpassed the victory margin she had set in the 2011 election, winning by over 58,000 votes. In 2011, Mamata had won by a margin of over 54,000 votes.

After 21 rounds of counting, Mamata had received 84,709 votes compared to 26,320 votes for Priyanka Tibrewal.

In her first response, Mamata said that the Bhabanipur verdict will have far-reaching consequences. She thanked the people of Bhabanipur for supporting her.

TMC cadre had always maintained that Mamata would be able to secure a bigger victory than ever at Bhabanipur.

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Mamata had been forced to contest from Bhabanipur seat, which was vacated for her by TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. Even though the TMC marched to victory in West Bengal assembly elections, Mamata herself narrowly lost to her BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram.

She was elected unanimously as the chief minister by the TMC's legislature party. However, the Constitution stated that a chief minister has to enter the assembly as an elected representative within six months of taking over.

BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal, meanwhile, conceded defeat in the Bhabanipur bypoll.

Tibrewal, who is one of the petitioners in the post-election violence case against the TMC government, said she graciously welcomed the people's mandate, unlike Mamata who had raised a hue and cry over the Nandigram election outcome.

Earlier today, the Election Commission directed the West Bengal government to ensure that all necessary measures were in place to prevent post-election violence after the results are declared.

The EC also directed that no victory processions or celebrations should be allowed once the bypoll results are announced in view of the prevailing Coronavirus pandemic.

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Last Updated Oct 3, 2021, 2:48 PM IST