Even as counting of votes are underway in West Bengal's Asansol and Ballygunge, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee declared the party's win in the elections. With all eyes on Shatrughan Sinha, who has been fielded by the TMC from Asansol and Babul Supriyo contesting from Ballygunge, West Bengal Chief Minister has thanked the people "for giving a decisive mandate to AITC party candidates".
In a series of tweets, Mamata Banerjee wrote, "I sincerely thank the electors of the Asansol Parliamentary Constituency and the Ballygunge Assembly Constituency for giving decisive mandate to AITC party candidates".
Former union minister Babul Supriyo is almost certain of beating the CPI(M)'s Saira Shah Halim to the Ballygunge seat. Supriyo, who quit the BJP after the party suffered an emphatic defeat in last year's Bengal assembly election, joined the Trinamool in September.
As of 1.30 pm he has over 33,000 votes. His CPI(M) rival has around 25,500. The BJP, which has fielded Keya Ghosh, is a distant third with less than 5,500 votes. The Congress' Kamruzzaman Choudhury has around 4,500 votes.
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha holds a commanding lead over the BJP's Agnimitra Paul in Asansol. Sinha has nearly 4.7 lakh votes as of 1.30 pm. His BJP rival is well behind with less than 2.7 lakh votes. The CPI(M)'s Partha Chatterjee is third with less than 63,000 votes.
Counting of votes for by-polls to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal began at 8 am today amid tight security arrangements. Around 66.42 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Asansol Lok Sabha election 2022 held on April 12.
A total of 15 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district.
Asansol bypolls were necessitated as Babul Supriyo resigned as the MP of Asansol after switching over to the TMC from the BJP, while state minister Subrata Mukherjee, who represented Ballygunge, died last year.
The TMC fielded veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol while the BJP nominated Asansol Dakshin MLA Agnimitra Paul.
