West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yet again defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Bhabanipur bypoll as she emerged victorious with humongous record margin of over 58,000 votes against BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal. According to the Election Commission of India, Mamata Banerjee secured 85,263 votes which is around 71.90 per cent of the total votes connected in the bye-elections.
BJP after the counting results were declared by the election commission issued a release saying, "the outcome of three Assembly by-polls in West Bengal aren't in line with our expectation but we accept it gracefully."
In a two paged media release, the BJP said, "After being demolished in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee may have survived in Bhabanipur for now, but it has never happened that a losing candidate chose to thrust herself as the Chief Minister, in violation of all democratic norms and proprietary. The by-election itself had been declared at the behest of Mamata Banerjee's government's Chief Secretary amidst the prevailing Covid situation, even as West Bengal was recuperating from the goriest of post-poll violence ever witnessed in any state in the history of independent India. Even the Honourable Calcutta High Court came down heavily on the partisan role of West Bengal's Chief Secretary who proved to be more of a loyal servant of the ruling party than that of the public."
Further it wrote, "The elections were held under an overbearing state administration, with dark shadow of fear, intimidation and gloom of the post poll violence hanging over the electorate. The impartiality of the state administration was evident during the election campaign of BJP candidate who was stopped at various places in the poll-going constituency, disregarding the basic right of an election candidate to reach out to one's electorate."
Speaking about the violence, the party notified that violence was perpetrated upon BJP workers by TMC cadres with support of TMC ministers who were openly intimidating common people from coming out to vote. "Sadly, the Election Commission did nothing to allay the fears of the voters. The polls, particularly in Bhabanipur, were marred by rampant fake voting, BJP candidate even apprehended such voters, but were allowed to escape under supervision of Kolkata police under political pressure from the TMC," it added.
"Despite the electoral outcome, the gross discontent of people in Bhabanipur and the overall state of affairs in Bengal, from dilapidated roads, crumbling infrastructure to overflowing drainage system, worsening law and order situation, under Mamata Banerjee remains a cause for deep concern," the saffron party added.
Continued violations of democratic nor electoral code of conduct and patronising
violence won't be able to save the Trinamool Congress in the long run. The resilient BJP
party workers will continue to fight tooth and nail against such democratic irregularities and won't stop till rule of law is restored in West Bengal.
Adding, the BJP will continue to fight the regressive politics of TMC and Mamata Banerjee," the party said, "We will fight to protect basic human rights of every citizen of West Bengal, women, youth, those from the marginalised backward communities, using all democratic means and platforms, and continue to work towards getting public mandate in favour of all-round development of West Bengal."
Mamata Banerjee's nearest rival, BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal, garnered 26,428 votes, while CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas polled 4,226 votes, the Election Commission said.
